


Through the Ages

by LookerDeWitt



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Courtney/Shelly in the background, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Origin Story, Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Post-Game(s), Pre-Game(s), Slow Burn, Team Rocket AU, but not enough to add a tag i think, for a brief period of time at least, mentions of illness, miscommunication: the fic, more like friends to enemies to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 74,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7423969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LookerDeWitt/pseuds/LookerDeWitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archie and Maxie first met when they were children and ever since, they became an inseparable part of each other's lives.</p><p>(A backstory and post game story of sorts; characters and other tags to be added.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Archie, Age 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kessavel for drawing fanart for this chapter!!!! It's so beautiful and u should check out their wonderful art!! (http://kessavel-art.tumblr.com/post/150464310740)

It was a clear day in Slateport City and it was far too warm for Archie to spend it inside. As soon as he had eaten breakfast he had rushed outside, ready to play the summer day away. Some of his other neighbors, including one of his best friends, Shelly, seemed to have the same idea.

"Archie, Archie!" She shouted, rushing towards the boy. "Did ya wanna play ball with us? I wanna show ya how good I've gotten!!"

"'Course we can, Shelly!" Archie responded, smiling at her enthusiasm. At the young age of five, Shelly was already blossoming into a full-fledged sportswoman and Archie, three years her senior, was more than willing to play with her. At the rate she was going, she'd probably be better than him at the sport in no time. As usual, the kids in the neighborhood split into two teams. They did this so often, most of the kids knew where to go. Shelly and Archie, the two who were best at the sport, (or maybe it was because they were both so loud, they weren't sure), were always deemed captain. They didn't mind, and competition was fun. "Did ya wanna pitch first or bat first?" 

"Bat! Gimme!" She rushed forward and gave Archie the glove, and the game began.

Their parents had told them, time and time again, to walk to the beach or a park to play baseball. If they kept playing in the neighborhood, soon enough they'd wind up breaking someone's window. But Archie and Shelly never listened. They had a system going on with the houses in the neighborhood. Archie's house was first base; the house at the end of the street was second base, and back around was Shelly's house as third. Home plate was the middle of the street, but they weren't worried. They usually had one kid sitting out who was always there to shout if a car was coming. 

The game went on smoothly for a while, and the two teams were obviously pretty equally matched. By the ninth inning, (or at least they assumed it was the ninth inning. They weren't sure but some kids were getting hungry so they figured they'd end the game after this), rolled around, the two teams were tied. Archie strolled up to the plate, bat in hand, ready to win this so he could go home and make himself a sandwich. 

"I'm gonna strike you out, Archie!" Shelly taunted confidently, tossing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly. 

"I'd like to see you try, Shelly!" He shouted back, smirking at her. He gripped the bat tightly in his hands and held it back, waiting for her throw. 

At the first pitch he swung too early, getting himself a strike. He cursed himself under his breath than got ready to go again. At the second pitch he swung too late, and he could hear Shelly laughing from her place at the mound. He gulped, realizing that Shelly really had seriously improved her throw. But he wasn't about to lose. At the third pitch he swung at just the right time, striking the ball as hard as he could with the bat. The ball flew high, high up into the air, soared over Shelly, past second base and crashed right into the second story window of the house at the end of the street, completely shattering it. For a moment, there was silence. Then, there was panic. 

In a neighborhood that prided itself on knowing one another, this house was an outlier. None of the kids on the street knew who lived in that house. In fact, it had been vacant until about a month ago, but despite that, no one had seen much of the family inside. There were rumors that the house was haunted, some of the kids claiming that they had seen a pale white ghost with flaming red eyes and hair peering out the window. They had all laughed about it, teasing one another about whether or not they were scared, but now that they had to actually face the house head on, no one knew what to do. 

"What should we do?" One of the boys asked.

"I dunno, but I'm not goin' near that house!" A girl replied. 

"Does anyone have a spare ball?"

"Nope, that was the only one we brought!"

"Well, I'm goin' home! I'm not goin' near it!" Many of the kids followed suit, running hastily back to their own homes, hoping to avoid the certain death that waited in that house. Archie could see Shelly running back to her house, and he caught up with her and pulled her back by the collar.

"Hey, Archie, lemme go!!" She protested.

“No! You gotta help me get the ball back!" He replied. 

"Why do I have to do it? You're the one who hit it in there!"

"Well, you're the one who threw it so hard! This is both our faults!"

"Well, I'm not goin' in there!"

"Fine, you just gotta at least help me think of a way in there!!" Their argument settled and the two of them glanced at the house, trying to figure a way in. 

"Should we knock on the door?" Shelly offered. 

"No way! Then the ghost will eat us right there!" Archie argued. "We gotta break in somehow, that way we can get the ball and leave before they notice!"

"But won't the ghosts wonder why their window is broken?"

"We can just say a wingull crashed into it or somethin'."

"Of course! That makes sense!" 

"But about getting in..." Archie hesitated, trying to think of something he could do. He looked at the house and sighed. The door was shut tight and so were all the windows, save for the broken one. He wished he had a pokemon; that would make things so much easier, but apparently they couldn't be trusted with an eight year old. Was there really that much of a difference between eight and ten? 

That's when he noticed it; the front of the house had some vines creeping up it on a ladder shaped thing. He tried to remember what it was called... something fancy... a trellises? Whatever, it didn't matter what it was called. He should be light enough to climb it, right?

"Shelly, watch my back." Archie said, stepping forward. "If I fall you gotta catch me."

"You're bigger than me." She pouted. 

"Fine. If I fall, you gotta call your mom. Got it?" 

"Yeah, I got it. Just hurry!" He said nothing more and grabbed a hold of the trellises, and began to pull himself up. The wood was a little shaky, but he climbed slowly and managed not to fall. He finally reached the second floor and hopped into the room, knocking a few extra shards of the broken window onto the floor. Much to his surprise, the room itself didn't look haunted. There was no dust or cobwebs anywhere; in fact, the room was spotless. The walls were painted a pale red and were covered with many pictures of various scenic locations in Hoenn, such as Mount Chimney and Meteor Falls. There was a desk with a neat stack of books upon it and a very large bookshelf with even more to read. It was clear that whoever lived here had nothing better to do than read. He finally noticed the ball lying near the door. He quietly crept forward, hoping he could grab the ball and leave without disturbing the ghosts. 

"Who are you?"

The unexpected voice caused him to jump and nearly scream. He turned and found a kid, who looked about the same age as him, sitting in the bed. Archie had been scanning the room so feverishly for the ball that he hadn't noticed the kid sitting there. Plus, it didn't help that his red striped pajamas blended in with the bed sheets so well. Archie became a little nervous at the sight of the boy. Was this the ghost that some of his friends had claimed to see? His skin was sickly pale and he did have red eyes and hair. But he really didn't seem that frightening. He was pretty skinny and wore large glasses. If need be, Archie would have no trouble beating this kid in a fight. Then again, if he had otherworldly ghost powers, then there really wasn't anything he could do.

"Are you just going to stare?" The kid continued, "I asked you who you were." Maybe the kid really was a ghost. He didn't seem intimidated in the slightest that someone had broken into his house. In fact, he looked irritated at most.

"Oh, uh, hi." Archie finally said. "I'm Archie. I live a few houses down." 

"Okay, Archie. What are you doing here?"

"I was, uh, gettin' my ball back. I accidentally hit it in here."

"I see." The kid turned his attention back to his book. "But why did you break into my room? We have a front door." 

"'Cause I didn't wanna die." Archie responded. He regretted saying it the moment it came out; being brutally honest was one of Archie's issues.

"Die?" The kid asked. "Why would you die?"

"I-I, it's nothin', I mean-" The kid glared at Archie, folding his arms as he waited for a proper response. His intense glare just made Archie even more nervous. "Fine!! Everyone says this house is haunted and I didn't wanna die!!"

"Haunted?" The kid repeated, after a short pause. And then a smile appeared on his lips. He began to laugh. It wasn't even a subtle giggle or something quiet; he began to laugh loudly, tears forming in his eyes as he kept going. Archie would have been embarrassed but he was unsure whether the boy was laughing at him for calling him a ghost, or if it was the diabolical laugh of a ghost. Finally, the kid calmed down and wiped at his eyes. "A ghost? Are you serious?"

"Hey, don't laugh at me! How was I supposed to know better?" Archie replied, averting his gaze away from him. "My friends said they saw a ghost in here! And none of us have ever seen ya come outside, so...!"

"So I'm the ghost?" The kid asked. "Well, it's nice to know I can scare people without even going outside."

"So you're not a ghost?"

"Of course not! Don't be silly. I'm a kid, just like you." He readjusted his glasses and got out of bed, approaching Archie. "My name is Maxie."

"Well, it's nice to meet ya, Maxie." Archie felt a wave of relief pass through him now that he knew he wasn't talking to the dead. He held his hand, (the left one, of course), out for Maxie to shake, and hesitantly, he took it and shook.

"Nice to meet you, too." He replied. Archie couldn't help but notice how cold his hand was.

"So if you're just a kid," Archie asked, strolling over to retrieve his baseball, "then how come you're never outside? I didn't even know ya existed until now."

"Well, we've only been here for a little over a month." Maxie responded. "We used to live in Lavaridge up until then."

"Oh, isn't that where the hot springs are? I always wanted to go there once!"

"Who cares about the hot springs when Mt. Chimney is right there?"

"Eh, volcanoes aren't that great. They're just boring like mountains 'til they explode, and then you're dead."

"I promise you there's much more to them than that." 

"Well then you keep 'em. I've got the ocean." Archie looked out the window, which had a fairly unobstructed view of the ocean beyond Slateport. "Nice view. Ain't it beautiful?"

"It loses its charm when that's all you get to look at all day." Archie turned to say something in protest, when he noticed that Maxie's bed was facing the window.

"Do ya not... leave this room very often?" Archie hadn't considered it until now, but it was already past noon and Maxie had still been in bed, in his pajamas and it didn't look like he planned on leaving anytime soon. Not only that, but his skin was really pale; it looked as if it hadn't seen the light of day in ages. Plus, that would explain why he and none of the other kids had never seen him before. 

"I don't see a reason to." Maxie said. "I moved here in the middle of summer break. I don't know anybody yet, and I probably won't get to until classes start. So I might as well wait until then."

"That sounds really boring." Archie said. "The point of summer is to be with friends outside of class! You're supposed to have fun and play outside!!"

"Well, I..." Maxie looked like he was going to argue some more, but stopped when he noticed Archie's right hand. "Are you okay?"

"Whaddaya mean?" Arcie looked at his palm and noticed a long, thin cut across it. "Oh." He must have cut it on some of the broken glass of the window when he climbed in. He hadn't really noticed it; the fear of encountering and getting killed by a ghost was more important to him than a cut. 

"Come with me." Maxie said, heading towards the bedroom door. "I'll get that fixed for you."

"Hey, it's okay. You really don't have to-"

"That wasn't an offer, it was an order. Come with me."

Archie sighed and followed behind the boy, figuring there was no point in arguing. The two walked downstairs in silence, Archie mostly being quiet so he could look around. The house was... normal, to say the least. Archie had been expecting a typical haunted house filled with old, ornate furniture and chandeliers that were all covered in cobwebs. But what he got was a normal house with mostly modern furniture and not a spot of dust or decay to be seen. The whole place was actually much cleaner than his own house and he realized, with all the stuff he left lying out in his room, that chances are there'd be more bugs in his own house than Maxie's. 

"I guess it really isn't haunted." Archie said when the two finally arrived in the kitchen. 

"Are you really still worrying about that?" Maxie replied, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out a first aid kit. "Give me your hand." Archie complied and winced when Maxie began to wash it with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. 

"Look, ya really don't have to do that." Archie said. Maxie kept a firm grip on his wrist and kept going. "I mean I get cut up all the time. It's no biggie."

"That's not a good thing." Maxie finally tossed the paper towel into the trash and began to wrap Archie's hand with bandages. 

"Yeah it is. It means I'm havin' fun!" Archie pointed to his elbow, which had a azumarill print bandage on it. "I got that when I fell off my bike while ridin' with Shelly. It was a lot of fun! And that cut on my knee; I accidentally scraped my leg against a rock while I was swimmin' in the ocean. It hurt, but I still had a lot of fun! Plus, it makes me look cool."

"You're really weird." Maxie said. He finished up the bandage and put the first aid kit back in its spot. 

"You're just jealous." Archie said, curling his right hand into a fist to test it out. 

"That's a stupid thing to be jealous of." Maxie replied. 

“I still think you’re jealous.”

“Whatever.” The two of them sat in silence for a moment, before Maxie cleared his throat.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Aren’t you going to head out now?”

“I think you should come with me.”

Maxie paused for a moment; clearly that was not the response he was expecting.

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“Ya heard me. Come with me.”

“Why?”

“Look around ya, Maxie, there’s no way this could be any fun! You need to go outside, run around, get dirty, just have some fun!”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course! You said you don’t know anyone, but now you know me! We can play baseball together with some of my friends! You should see how hard my friend Shelly can throw the ball and…" He trailed off. Wait. The ball. That's why he was here: he had broken the window. "Shoot, the ball!! What about your window? I broke your window!!"

"Yes, you did." 

"Are your parents gonna be mad?"

"Probably.” Maxie replied calmly. "I might not be allowed to ever see you again. Which is why-"

"Oh come on! That's so unfair!!" Archie interrupted. "I mean we just met! We didn't even get a chance to hang out and-"

"Which is why," Maxie continued, talking over Archie's whining, "I broke the window."

"Wait... what?"

"The book I was reading had an awful ending. I hated it so much I threw it out the window. That's what happened, isn't it?" Archie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Maxie really letting him off the hook like that?

"Won't you get in trouble?"

"I'm sure I will. But I don’t think my mom is going to kill me or anything.”

"Well... is there somethin' I can do in return?" Archie replied sheepishly. This was honestly the nicest thing anyone had done for him; and lord knows how much he hated getting in trouble. 

"I heard there's a beach house near here that sells ice cream floats." Maxie said. "When we hang out next time, get me one." Archie smiled; he liked how Maxie didn't even consider the possibility that there wouldn't be a next time. He appreciated that kind of confidence. 

"It's a deal."

Pretty soon after that, Maxie convinced Archie to finally leave the house, explaining that his excuse would make more sense if Archie weren’t around. Not only that, but Archie figured he had kept Shelly waiting long enough. He exited through the front door and found her sitting not too far away in the grass, pulling clumps of it out and then dumping it on her leg. 

"What are you doin'?" Archie asked. 

"Archie!" She jolted up in surprise. "Nothin'! I was just bored! What took ya so long?" She grabbed ahold of his hand, looking horrified. "What happened to your hand? Did the ghost attack ya?!"

"Easy, Shelly, calm down." Archie said, gently pulling his hand out of Shelly's grip. "I just cut myself on the window. That's all. In fact, there's a kid inside and he was the one who fixed it up for me."

"There's a kid in there?" Shelly asked. "Is he... y'know, alive?"

“Well… he definitely does look like a ghost.” He thought about how Maxie had bandaged his hand and how he had offered to take the blame for breaking his window despite knowing next to nothing about him. He smiled. “But he seems really nice. I trust him.”

"Ya didn’t answer my question." Shelly said. Before he had a chance to answer her properly, a book came flying out of Maxie's window and fell to the ground just a few feet away from them. Shelly shrieked and began to run away, and Archie soon ran after her. He turned to get one last look at the house, and noticed Maxie standing at the window, staring down at them. It looked like he was smiling. Archie waved at him before returning to his task of catching up to Shelly.

* * *

They didn’t see each other again until about a week later, on yet another painfully sunny day. The window had since been fixed, but Archie had decided to keep his distance. He had no idea how long Maxie would get grounded for. He knew his parents would’ve surely grounded him for at least a week. Maybe more, seeing how this wasn’t the first time he had broken a window. 

He walked up to Maxie’s house and nervously knocked on the door. He was still worried he’d encounter one of Maxie’s parents, and then he’d admit what really happened. He had just met Maxie; he didn’t want to be banned from seeing him before getting to know him. Much to his relief, Maxie opened the door. 

“I was wondering when you’d come back.” Maxie said. He shut the door behind him and began to walk ahead of Archie. “Well, let’s go.”

“Hey… aren’t ya gonna tell anyone you’re gone?” Archie asked, catching up with him. “Won’t your parents be worried?”

“As long as I’m home before mom gets back from work, I’ll be fine.”

“Wait, are ya home alone all day?” 

“Usually.”

“Aren’t ya a little young to be doin’ that?” Maxie almost looked offended at his sentiment.

“I’m almost nine! I can take care of myself, thank you.” Maxie replied. “Besides, mom’s really busy. She can’t be home all the time.”

“What about your dad, then?” Maxie paused for a moment, but quickly got back to his usual pace.

“What about him?” Maxie said with a shrug. “He’s not here.”

“What’s that supposed to-”

“Archie, why are you letting me lead the way? I just moved here. I don’t know where anything is.”

“But…” Maxie glared at him, effectively silencing him. Archie could be oblivious at times, but he knew what that look meant: drop the subject. He led Maxie to the beach, making sure to talk about his love for water type pokemon instead. 

As promised, he bought Maxie a sundae from the little shack on the beach and, much to Maxie’s displeasure, Archie made the two of them sit on towels on the hot sand.

“Why couldn’t we just stay inside?” Maxie complained.

“It’s crowded in there!” Archie replied. “Besides, we’re at the beach! What’s the point if ya can’t see the water?” Maxie took a bite out of his ice cream, and then looked to the ocean.

He glanced back at Archie and shrugged.

“It’s not that special.” He finally said. 

“What’re ya even talkin’ about? Look at it!” He gestured to the ocean with his spoon, splattering the sand in front of him with chocolate ice cream. “It’s so big! And have ya seen some of the stuff that lives in there?”

“Yes, I have. And I think the fire types in the mountains are much cooler.”

“That’s just cause ya haven’t seen ‘em up close!” 

“You mean like in an aquarium?”

“Nope! I’m talkin’ about in the sea! One time when I was swimmin’, I felt something rub against my leg. I thought it was seaweed, but when I dove under, there were a ton of tentacool everywhere!”

“That sounds terrifying!” Maxie exclaimed, “Why would you come back?”

“Tentacool aren’t that scary. There’s just a ton of them. And why wouldn’t I come back? The ocean’s home!”

“What are you even talking about?” 

“Have you swum in the ocean before?”

“No.”

“Then of course ya don’t get it.” Archie stood up. “C’mon, we should swim!”

“Absolutely not.”

“Aww, how come?” 

“I don’t know how to swim.”

“Is that all? It’s simple, I’ll help ya!” He grabbed Maxie’s hand to help him up, but Maxie pulled away.

“I don’t care how simple it is, I’m not swimming with you.” Maxie snapped. “Besides, I don’t even have a swim suit.”

“Your shorts’ll work just fine.”

“That’s not the point!”

“Well what is it, then?” Archie sighed. “C’mon, ya stay inside all day. This could be your chance to actually do somethin’ fun! Why don’t ya live a little?”

“I am.” Maxie glared. 

“Oh really? Ya don’t look like you’re havin’ much fun. Do ya prefer stayin’ in your room all day or somethin’?”

“Prefer… are you serious?” Maxie asked. “Do you really think I choose to stay in my room all day? Do you really think I like being cooped up? There’s a reason for it!” 

“Well, what is it, then?” 

“Just…” Maxie looked around nervously, and then gestured for Archie to sit down beside him. “Sit down, okay? I don’t want to draw attention.”

“Fine.” Archie sat down and Maxie, after once again looking around him, began to unbutton his shirt. “I thought ya said ya didn’t want to swim.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. Shut up.” He unbuttoned his shirt down to his stomach, revealing a long, red scar that started just beneath his collarbones and stopped just after his ribcage. It didn’t look like any scar Archie had seen before. Even the bad ones he had seen some of his friends get from falling off their bikes didn’t look like this. It was long and straight, almost as if it were intentional. 

“Whoa… what happened to ya?” Archie asked. “Did ya get attacked by a wild pokemon or somethin’?”

“Of course not. What kind of pokemon cuts this cleanly?” Maxie sighed and began to button up his shirt again. “There was something wrong with my heart when I was born. I can’t remember what it was, but it made me dizzy and I couldn’t play outside a lot and sometimes it was hard to breathe. So a doctor cut me open and fixed it. That’s why I moved here. Now do you understand why I wasn’t outside playing with everyone?”

“Yeah… yeah, I think I get it.” Archie replied. Even though Maxie had buttoned up his shirt, he still couldn’t help but stare. It was hard to believe someone his age could go through something like that. Surgery, getting things done to your heart… he had only ever heard things like that happen on those cheesy hospital dramas that his dad watched, and he noticed that most of those characters died, anyways. Either those shows were incredibly inaccurate, or Maxie was the toughest person he had ever met. Or maybe a mix of both.

“So… you’re allowed to be outside, right? This isn’t gonna kill ya or somethin’, is it?”

“Of course not, don’t be silly,” Maxie responded. “I’ve been alright to go outside for over a week now. I just haven’t because I don’t know anybody yet. Mom moved us here because the air is clearer and figured I’d spend the summer resting and then make friends when the school year started. I guess she didn’t realize how boring that’d end up being.”

“Whoa…” Archie said. Honestly, he couldn’t even imagine it. Being too sick to run around, having to spend most of his summer inside. He must’ve been desperate to get outside, regardless of whom it was with. Archie knew he would be if he were in his shoes. “I’m sorry, Max.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything. In fact, I should thank you; if it weren’t for you, I’d still be stuck in my room right now.” 

“Is that why ya covered for me? I mean, with the ball and everythin’?”

“Obviously. Normally, I would’ve gotten you in trouble. You shattered my window, broke into my house and even called me a ghost five minutes after meeting me.” Maxie paused, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face. “But then you asked me to come outside and play with you. You had no reason to do that; you were just there to get your ball then leave, right? I didn’t have that many friends in Lavaridge, and I thought it’d be even harder here in Slateport. But then you immediately asked to hang out. There was no way I could let a chance at a new friend get away.” Maxie paused, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. Archie noticed the change in his demeanor. “I’m talking too much. Did you want to go home now?” 

“Go home?” Archie asked. “’Course not. It’s hardly even noon! We’ve got the whole day to do stuff! I know a great place where ya can see Mt. Chimney. Ya like Mt. Chimney, right? Oh, there’s a contest hall not too far from here. Maybe we can catch one!”

“You don’t have to do that. You only owed me ice cream.”

“So what? It’s already July; half the summer’s over.” He stood up and held his hand out towards Maxie. “I’m gonna help ya make up for all that lost fun. Okay?”

“I…” Maxie grabbed Archie’s hand, and smiled genuinely for the first time all day. “Okay.” 


	2. Maxie, Age 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if this warrants the "graphic depictions of violence" tag because I will be happy to add it if needed.

"So, when are we going to have cake?" Archie whined, trudging slowly behind Maxie. 

"Later. That's not until we get home." Maxie replied. The two of them spent the whole day on the move, heading north and, after riding the cable car up to Mt. Chimney, walked to their final location: jagged path. Maxie was having a great time; he had missed the heat that radiated off of the volcano, and the scent of the thick forest mixed with the ash from the volcano was like home to him. Archie, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop complaining. 

"I know it's your birthday and all, but did we really have to come all the way here? There's plenty of pokemon down by the beach!" Archie complained.

"When it’s your birthday, we can go to the beach and catch all the tentacool and carvanha that you want." Maxie replied. "But today's mine and I’m getting a fire type."

It was late August, Maxie's tenth birthday to be specific. Seeing how he had finally come of proper age, his mother had given him ten pokeballs as a gift to catch his first pokemon with. Maxie had been thrilled, of course. Living in the water-oriented town had made him miss home with all the warmth in the air radiating off of Mt. Chimeny. If he could catch just a single fire type to keep with him as a memory of home, then he'd be satisfied. 

Of course, he couldn't set out to catch his first pokemon alone, and Archie was the immediate choice to accompany him. Ever since that day they met about a year and a half ago, the two of them had been as thick as thieves. Just as he had promised, Archie had spent the entire summer with Maxie; showing him around Slateport, went on hikes with him, playing baseball with Shelly and all of their friends, anything to get Maxie out of his room. They ended up in the same class when school got back in session, and the two of them remained inseparable. Maxie's mother was a little nervous at first, worried that all his time outside would worsen his health, but he soon grew healthier and stronger, and she was happy to see her son playing outside with a friend just like every other kid. Shelly, on the other hand, had been a little jealous of Archie's new friend at first, but eventually warmed up to him and welcomed him with open arms as soon as she determined that he was not a ghost and she was still better at baseball than he was. Maxie couldn’t remember ever being this happy or being this close with anyone, and he was certainly excited to be getting his first pokemon, with Archie by his side. 

"At least tell me you're getting chocolate cake." Archie said. "And ice cream! You can't have a birthday without ice cream!"

"I  _hate_  chocolate cake." Maxie replied, looking in the bushes around him. "We'll be having red velvet."

"Isn't that what couches are made of?" Maxie just sighed. 

"Look, just help me find one, and we can go." Maxie said, shivering. Even next to the volcano, he found himself being cold. “I should have brought a jacket."

"Are you kidding?" Archie asked. As usual, he was in a T-shirt and shorts. It was essentially the same thing he wore during the summer, fall, winter and spring. Maxie swore that Archie was simply incapable of being cold. 

"It's almost autumn!" Maxie argued. 

"Yeah, but we're right next to a volcano!" Maxie just sighed, knowing he really couldn't argue with that. The air around him was far warmer than Slateport, but he was still cold regardless. It seemed that it didn’t matter where he was or what he wearing; he was always freezing.

"Just be quiet." Maxie finally said.

"I swear, you could probably stand by an active volcano in a sweater and you'd still be cold."

"I seriously doubt that." Maxie said. 

The two of them stopped in their tracks when they reached a cliff. With all of the rocks jutting out, it'd be possible to climb down; but it was very steep and many of the rocks looked sharp. While Maxie did enjoy hiking, he tended to use the trails provided; he knew Archie had better experience with climbing, seeing how he had tried to scale a rock that jutted out of the ocean, just so he could show off his skills and dive off of it. 

“You go first." Maxie said.

"What? Why me?" Archie groaned. 

"Because you're larger and I won't be able to help you down." Maxie smirked and continued, "Plus, it's my birthday." Archie rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"That couch cake you were talkin' about better be worth it." Before Maxie could tell him what red velvet was, Archie stepped forward and began to climb down. It didn’t look like it was all that difficult, and when he reached the bottom; he smiled back up at Maxie.

“You comin’? Or are ya scared?” He smirked.

"Oh, shut up.” Maxie said. He swung his foot over the edge and nervously balanced it on one of the ledges below him. He glared; how come it was so easy for Archie? "Can you stay there? Just in case?"

"Yeah, sure I can, I mean..." He trailed off when he heard rustling in the large bushes a little ways behind him. He stepped away from the bottom of the cliff to go investigate. Maxie would’ve thrown something at him if he could. 

"Archie! Where do you think you're going?" Maxie hissed down at him. He got no response, and attempted to climb down faster. "I told you to do one thing, and I swear if you-" He stopped talking as he missed his footing on the slope, causing him to yelp in surprise and fall backwards. Luckily, Archie came running back just in time for Maxie to fall onto him instead of the hard ground. 

"Ow…" Archie groaned. He rubbed the back of his head and winced a little. “Hey… you okay?”

“Archie…” He immediately got off of Archie, and helped him up. “I told you to stand at the bottom just in case!”

“I know, I know!” Archie responded. “Hey, I managed to catch ya in time!”

“Catch me? I fell on you!” He brushed some of the dirt off of Archie’s shirt, thankful that he wasn’t scratched anywhere. “I could have seriously hurt you!”

“I wasn’t gonna let ya get-” Archie paused. “Wait,  _I’m_  the one you’re worried about here?”

“Obviously!”

"Well, uh… sorry about that." Archie said, looking away sheepishly. Maxie wasn’t sure why he looked flustered. Maybe he was embarrassed for running off? 

"Just… be careful next time." Maxie replied. He was irritated, of course, but decided not to push it for now. "What exactly was so interesting that you had to leave and check it out?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah! It's super cute!" Archie beamed, the embarrassment from before all but gone. "But ya have to be quiet."

"That's a bigger problem for you than me."

"That's true." Archie and Maxie snuck towards the large, rustling bush slowly, Maxie nervously clutching at his bag of pokeballs. He hoped it was a numel, seeing how they could be found around here. That, or a ponyta, but those were much rarer and he had a hard time believing it could hide in a bush for long before igniting it. Archie reached forward and spread the tufts of leaves apart, revealing a small opening inside the bush. Nestled inside it were a bunch of baby zangoose. 

"Aren't they cute?" Archie said with a grin. "These are fire types, right? I mean, they've got a red stripe n' all, too." Maxie felt a pit in his stomach. 

"Archie, step away from them." Maxie said, backing away slowly.

"What, why?" Archie replied. Much to Maxie’s horror, he picked up one of the tiny zangoose and held it gently in his arms. 

"Just trust me. Put it back." While Archie did love pokemon, he mostly focused on learning about water types alone. Maxie, on the other hand, had so much time alone when he was stuck in his room that he had nothing to keep him occupied except for books. He used to read fairy tales and old legends, his favorite being the one about the mighty groudon and its fight against kyogre, but as he got older, he read more and more about real pokemon that he was more likely to encounter. He read books listing each and every pokemon discovered thus far, and was always excited to hear about new ones. He read about all the different types, even if he did have a bias for ground and fire type. And he read about their characteristics and natures, what to do if one was encountered and which pokemon were more or less dangerous. He knew enough about pokemon to know what a zangoose was, how it had sharp claws, held grudges, and had been feuding with seviper for centuries. He also knew enough about zangoose to know that Archie touching one of their young was a very, very bad idea. 

"Are you sure this isn't what you're lookin' for?" Archie asked. "I mean, it's cute and it looks easy enough to catch-"

"Archie put it back right now!" Maxie demanded again. "We don't know where their mother is, and we don't want to be seen like this when she returns!"

"Okay, dude, I get it. I..." He trailed off and his gaze went from Maxie to something coming up behind him. Maxie turned around fearfully and, just as he predicted, there was fully grown zangoose approaching them. When it got a good look at them, particularly Archie, it stood up on its hind legs menacingly. At full height, it was only just a few inches short of the two boys. 

"Whoa, that thing gets really big..." Archie said nervously. Maxie knew that zangoose was dangerous, but seeing it in the flesh made it all the more intimidating. He had been hoping that he and Archie would be dealing with small fire types that lived in the short grass and were relatively harmless and easy to catch; but instead, zangoose was approaching them, and neither of them had any pokemon to defend themselves with. Maxie's mother had left him one of her pokemon, a mareep, to take with him on his first try, but he had left it at home, claiming that he wanted to catch a pokemon all on his own. Maxie silently cursed himself for that decision; his pride was surely going to be the death of him one day. Maxie was starting to feel like Archie may have been right; maybe they should’ve stayed a little closer to home. But he wasn’t about to admit that he was wrong. Besides, now really wasn’t the time for that. 

"Archie, watch out!!" Maxie shouted. The zangoose ran past him, its claws extended, and aimed straight for Archie, just narrowly missing Archie's chest when the boy quickly stepped backwards. 

"Okay, okay, I'm puttin’ it back!!" Archie said. He knelt down and placed the baby zangoose on the ground. "See, it's fine! I wasn't gonna hurt it!" The zangoose lunged for him again and once again barley missed. Before Archie could try and tell the pokemon again that this was all a huge misunderstanding, Maxie rushed forward and grabbed his hand, and pulled him into a sprint.

"Maxie, why are we running?" Archie asked. 

"Why do you think, idiot?!" Maxie shouted in response. 

"If ya just gave me a moment, I coulda explained what happened-"

"Archie, pokemon don't understand speech! And even if they did, why would they listen when they think you're hurting their children?!"

"I wasn't gonna!! You know that!!" 

"I know that, but it doesn’t!"

"Why don't you just catch it? That's why we're here, isn't it?!"

"I’m not going to fight it, and I'm not going to separate it from its children!!" 

“That’s the first thing you’ve said all day that makes any sense!”

The two stopped in their tracks when they noticed that the path before them had become the edge of a steep cliff. Maxie cursed and looked around, desperately searching for another way out. To the side of them was another steep fall, to the other side was a steep slope that would take a good amount of time to climb up and behind them was a raging pokemon. It didn't look like there were any options.

"Do ya really think it's still after us?" Archie asked, panting a little. 

"Of course... it is..." Maxie took deep, heavy breaths, trying to catch his breath the best that he could. He hadn’t run that much in a very long time, if ever. "Zangoose is very... territorial... it's been fighting with seviper for centuries now..."

"That's scary..." He said nervously. Maxie didn’t respond, still trying to steady his breathing. “Are you gonna be okay?” 

“I’m fine, I just... I’m trying to think…” He tried to ignore how dizzy he felt and instead looked down at the cliff before them, noting that the distance looked less than the cliff he had almost fallen down earlier. If they jumped off, it would scratch them a little, but overall... 

"Think we can make it if we jump?" Archie asked. 

"I..." Maxie looked back at Archie nervously. "I believe so, but-" He was cut off when the zangoose scurried into view again and jumped, claws bared, at Archie. This time it had caught the boy off guard and swiped at his face twice, once for each paw. The pokemon's claws dug into Archie's skin, slicing him open in moments. The momentum of the attack caused him to fall backwards and slide down the cliff until he landed hard on his back on the clearing at the bottom. 

“Archie!!” He could see Archie writhing on the ground below, clutching at his bloody face. The zangoose, still seemingly enraged, lunged towards Maxie as well. In an attempt to avoid the attack as well as get to Archie quicker, Maxie mustered up all the courage that he could and slid down the cliff. He narrowly avoided the zangoose’s attack, her claws grazing his left arm instead of his chest. When he reached the bottom of the cliff, he ignored the throbbing pain in his arm and instead ran towards Archie.

"Archie!! Archie are you okay?!" Maxie shouted. Archie didn't respond; he was too busy writhing in pain to respond normally. Maxie gripped his arms, trying to pry them away from his face. "Archie, I know it hurts, but you have to let go!! I have to get something to bandage it!!" Archie struggled for a while, but Maxie finally managed to pull his arms off his face and got a good look at the bloody gash on his forehead. 

He wanted to scream at the sight of him; Archie’s face was covered in blood. It was in his eyes, his hair, and it was dripping off his face onto the dirt below him. He was thankful Archie was still awake, but he’d have to do something to stop the bleeding if he could. 

“Archie! I’m sorry, I-”

"M-maxie!!" Archie gasped. He was beginning to hyperventilate and his eyes were still squeezed shut. "I can't- I can't see anything!"

"I know, Archie, try to hold still!" Maxie pulled the bandanna out of Archie's hair. "I'm going to try and stop the bleeding, okay?" He pressed the cloth against Archie's face, grimacing as Archie winced beneath him. Archie desperately reached forward, and clawed at Maxie’s arms, desperate to grip at something. “Archie, I’m sorry, just try to hold on-”

"Maxie... Maxie...!" Archie choked out. His breaths were getting progressively slower, and his grip on Maxie’s arms began to grow weak. 

"Just hang on!” Maxie cried desperately. “You're going to be okay!"

Archie soon fainted after that, leaving Maxie to his own devices. He tied the bandanna to his head tighter, hoping to suppress the bleeding as much as possible. Archie’s current state worried him, but at least when he was unconscious he couldn’t struggle too much. He could hear some noise on the cliff above him. From the sounds of it, the zangoose had picked a fight with something else. Or maybe something else had picked a fight with her? Maxie wasn’t sure, but either way, he was thankful that she wasn’t chasing after him anymore. 

He cleaned Archie up as much as he could. He had a few tissues in his bag, but they didn’t do all that much. Archie looked awful; the bandanna on his forehead was wet with his own blood, and though he was unconscious, his breathing was ragged and his expression was one of pain. 

Maxie sat down beside Archie, running his bloody hands through his hair anxiously. For the first time in his life, he had no idea of what he was going to do. Here he was, a skinny little kid, just barely ten years old, stuck in the middle of one of the more dangerous routes in Hoenn with an unconscious, bleeding friend and no pokemon to protect them. And whose fault was that? His, of course! Why hadn’t he just brought his mom’s pokemon along with him, like he was supposed to? Why did he have to be so stubborn? Why hadn’t he tried to catch something closer to home? Why had he been so foolish? Now he was stuck here, with no contact to the world, with an unconscious Archie. 

“Archie…” Maxie groaned. That zangoose had certainly done a number on him. It had sliced him in the center of his forehead. What if it had damaged his skull or his brain? And his eyes; he was screaming that he couldn’t see… what if his eyesight was damaged? What if it was permanent? And the blood… there was so much of it. It looked like he had slowed the bleeding, but he had already lost a significant amount. What if Archie ended up in a coma?

Or worse, what if he…? 

Now it was Maxie’s turn to panic. What if Archie died? What if Archie died here and it was all his fault? He had allowed this to happen; he could’ve protected him, he could’ve helped him, he could’ve prevented all this, he could’ve-

His train of thought was cut off when he heard a small thud a few feet behind him. A numel had tumbled down the cliff, but he looked relatively unharmed. He tottered towards Maxie, a sleepy expression on his face. Maxie didn’t see him as a threat and just watched him curiously. Numel was a warm, relatively friendly pokemon. But why he had come to him, he had no idea.

“What do you want?” Maxie finally asked. The numel didn’t respond, and why would he? Maxie had said it himself: pokemon don’t understand human speech. “What is it?” He pet the numel gently when he reached his side. Just as the books said, his fur was soft and warm to the touch. He’d like to catch him, if the circumstances were different. The numel brushed his head against his left arm and mewled, looking concerned. Maxie hadn’t been paying much attention to his own scars, and he noticed the blood had trailed down past his elbow.

“Don’t worry about me; I’m fine.” He said. He covered his own cuts with his hand and grimaced at the feeling. The slashes were a lot deeper than he had thought they would be. But that only made him worry more about what Archie must have been through. “If you’re going to worry, worry about him.” The numel looked at Archie and walked over to him. He nudged Archie’s arm, but got no response. That’s when Maxie noticed a scratch running along the right side of the numel’s body. It wasn’t bleeding, but it still looked fresh. “Are you hurt?” The numel looked back at him, and then gestured towards the cliff that he, Maxie and Archie had fallen from. “Were you the one fighting the zangoose?” Numel wasn’t well known for being tough, but he supposed even a zangoose wouldn’t fight three against one, even if she had taken Archie down. Either way, he was glad that the zangoose had left them alone.

“Numel, you live here, right?” He wasn’t sure why he was still trying to communicate with him, but if he had helped him once, he could do it again, right? “Do you know of a way down the pass? Towards Lavaridge? Please, I need to get my friend out of here.” The numel didn’t respond, and simply blinked at him. Figures, Maxie thought. Regardless of whether or not he was getting the pokemon’s help, he still needed to get Archie someplace safe. He slowly hoisted Archie up, and couldn’t help but notice the blood splattered on the ground where he had been laying. He decided not to dwell on it; getting Archie somewhere where he could get help was top priority. He wrapped Archie’s arms around his neck, and hooked his arms beneath his legs. Very carefully, he stood up. His legs shook and his arm ached with the added weight, but he managed- barely- to lift Archie. He cursed under his breath; the many times his mother had piggyback carried him had made it look so easy. It probably helped that she was over a foot taller than him. He was about to head towards where he thought the path was, when Numel strolled up to him and brushed his head against his leg. 

“What do you want, Numel?” Maxie asked. “I can’t pet you right now, okay?” 

Numel ignored him, strolled ahead of him and then used ember on a bush in front of him. After it burned down, he turned back towards Maxie, gesturing towards the path he had just created. 

“Is that a short cut?” Maxie asked. Numel nodded. Maxie smiled and followed the path Numel was creating. He had never spent much time with pokemon before, but maybe they actually could understand human speech. He had always figured that they could only understand the simplest of speech and commands, like attacking and dodging in battles or contests. He would have to remember to give pokemon more credit in the future.

* * *

 

It took awhile, but the two eventually made it down to Lavaridge. Numel had cleared a fairy steady path for Maxie through the thick bushes and coarse grass, allowing him and Archie to get to the bottom with relatively little difficulty. Luckily for him, he hadn’t run into any pokemon that wanted to fight. He had passed by a couple machop and spoink on his way down, but they didn’t look too interested in a confrontation.

The next few hours passed by in a rush. There was a small clinic in Lavaridge. Maxie knew it well; he was there frequently as a little kid until it was decided that he’d need more advanced care at the hospital in Slateport. Still, he figured it would still be enough to help Archie. He took Archie there, and the two of them were finally separated. He called his mom and explained- and apologized for- what had happened, and she promised to contact Archie’s parents about the whole ordeal. Luckily, his own treatment didn’t take too long. The slashes on his arm needed to be disinfected, cleaned and then bandaged up. All things considered, it could’ve been much worse. Archie, however… Apparently, he’d need stitches, a lot of medication for the pain, and he was going to have to stay the night just in case. It took a lot of arguing, but Maxie finally convinced his mom to let him stay with Archie, at least until he woke up. This was his fault; he should at least be there for him. His mom finally agreed, and figured she’d let Maxie have his space while she waited for Archie’s parents to arrive in the lobby. However, before he entered Archie’s room, a nurse and her chansey stopped him. 

“Excuse me, but do you have Numel’s pokeball?” She asked him. “Pokemon that are small like numel are allowed in rooms, but you need to be able to return him to his ball at anytime if necessary.”

“What?” Maxie looked down and realized Numel was still trailing behind him. Had he been following him the whole time? He had been so caught up with everything that he hadn’t even noticed. “He’s not mine.” The nurse didn’t look very convinced. “Okay, um, hold on one second.” Maxie still had his bag with him, and he pulled out a pokeball, and then threw it at the numel. Numel disappeared inside the ball, and it began to shake. He knew there was no chance he’d be able to catch him. He hadn’t weakened him at all, nor was he asleep or paralyzed.

“See? I told you he’s not-” He was cut off when he heard the pokeball click shut. The nurse looked about as surprised as him, but then laughed. 

“Well, I suppose he’s yours now.” She said. Maxie picked up the ball and examined it closely. 

“I guess he is.” She showed him into the room and brought him a chair. She then let him be; telling him there was a call button just in case he or Archie needed anything. He moved the chair up next to Archie’s bed and sat down. Archie was still asleep, but he looked much better than before. His expression was calm and peaceful, instead of the pained one he had worn earlier. His forehead was covered in bandages, but otherwise, it just looked as if he was taking a nap. Maxie wondered if Archie was cold. Probably not, seeing how he wore a tank top even during the winter, but he couldn’t be too sure. He released Numel, who looked confused when he found himself on the soft surface of the bed. 

“Hey, Numel.” Maxie whispered. “Would you be willing to do one more favor for me today?” The pokemon nodded back. “Can you keep him warm?” Numel seemed more than happy to comply, and curled up by Archie’s side. Maxie smiled and gently ran his hand through the numel’s soft fur. “Thank you.” Maxie found himself growing weary; the day had exhausted him, to say the least. He couldn’t remember the last time he had exerted himself this much. As much as he wanted to stay awake and wait for Archie to wake up, he couldn’t help his eyelids from drooping, and his sight from blurring. He leaned forward and rested his head on his arms, figuring that a quick nap wouldn’t hurt. 

He awoke at the feeling of something touching his hair. He groaned, groggy from the unsatisfactory short nap. He opened his eyes and sat up, noticing Archie pulling his hand away quickly when he did so. 

“S-sorry for wakin’ ya, Max,” Archie said nervously, “I was just, uh…” Maxie was too groggy to be offended or confused by Archie’s actions. He took a moment to sluggishly take in his surroundings. The room was dark, but he could still make out some of the features thanks to the moon resting high in the sky outside the window. He wondered just how long he had been out. It had only been late afternoon when he got here. Clearly his mom had been in the room. There was a box on the table with a note beside it for him, and her coat was draped over his shoulders. He was curious about the gift on the table, but figured he’d investigate later. Archie was finally awake, and he took top priority. 

“Archie…” He mumbled, straightening his glasses. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore. But I think I’ll live.” He looked around the room and scratched his head. “What happened?”

“You passed out.” Maxie was having a hard time getting a good look at him in the dark, so he scooted his chair closer and cupped Archie’s face in his hands. “You don’t look as bad as before.”

"That's good, I guess..." Archie mumbled. Maxie could feel his cheeks heating up in his hands and let go. Maybe he was feeling feverish. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” 

“I already told ya, I’m fine!” Archie insisted. "Anyways, what happened to you?" He asked, gesturing to Maxie’s bandaged arm. 

"Oh… I got slashed by the zangoose as well." Maxie explained. He gently touched the fresh bandages. "Luckily it missed my chest. Who knows what would have happened then."

"But how did ya even get us out of there?" Archie asked. 

"That's where this little guy comes in." Maxie said, gesturing to the sleeping pokemon by Archie’s side. Archie looked at him, but didn’t seem to recognize him. "It's a numel."

"Never heard of it."

"It's a fire type." Maxie explained. "He came out and stood up against the zangoose. I guess the zangoose didn't feel like taking all three of us out, so she left."

"Did you catch him then?" Archie asked.

"Of course not. I had to take care of you." Maxie said. "But he helped create a safe path for me while I carried you to Lavaridge." 

"You... what now?" Archie asked, eyes wide. 

"What's with that look?" Maxie asked. "Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yeah. I mean, no, I just…” Archie hesitated, “You’re not very buff.”

“I’m still taller than you, you know.”

“Yeah, but I'm still bigger than you! And with a messed up arm? How in the world did you do that?”

"You were heavy, but I could do it." Maxie said, looking irritated. "Don't underestimate me next time."

"Oh, I’ll be really careful." Archie replied sarcastically. 

"Anyways," Maxie continued, "I called both our parents and took you here. But Numel refused to go back and insisted on coming with me, so he let me catch him."

"That's awesome." Archie said petting the numel gently. 

"I guess it is." But Maxie wasn't looking at his numel. In fact, throughout their whole conversation, he had found himself having a hard time looking anywhere except Archie’s bandaged forehead. He was glad Archie was okay, of course, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened to him and how it all could’ve easily been avoided.

"My eyes are right here, ya know." Archie finally said. 

"I know that! I just..." Maxie sighed. "I'd like to properly apologize to you. This was all my fault. I really should have stayed somewhere closer to home, or at least brought mom’s pokemon with me." He felt awful about what had happened to Archie. Part of it was worry for his friend, but a selfish part of him worried about himself, as well. Archie was his only friend. Sure, there were plenty of students in class who were friendly enough, but Archie… Archie was the only one who went out of his way to spend time with him. He was the only one who could make him laugh, he was the only one who seemed intrigued when he talked about pokemon, and he knew more about him than anyone else. He even knew about his heart and was… intrigued, instead of disgusted. He hadn’t expected anyone to accept him so easily; the kids in Lavaridge always treated him like he was contagious and dangerous, and… he never thought he would ever meet someone as accepting as Archie. But here he had gone and gotten him hurt. He was surprised Archie wasn’t furious with him. Wouldn’t he want to stop being his friend?

"Why're you apologizing?” Archie asked. “I mean, ya got the pokemon ya wanted, right?" 

"Yes, but... your face." 

“…Oh.” It seemed Archie had almost forgotten about it. He reached up to touch his forehead and found it covered in bandages. His touch stung a little, and he put his hand down immediately. "How did it look? Was it bad?" 

"It wasn't good. There was blood everywhere… But I'm not sure how it looks now. They had to stitch it up. I remember it looking like a giant X." He paused. "But it looked pretty bad. I don't know if it will be permanent or not." He sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to live with himself if he had to be reminded of his mistakes every time he looked upon Archie. 

"Y’know what that means, right?” Maxie expected the worst, but Archie just grinned at him. “I'll be just like sharpedo!"

"Wait, what?" That had certainly caught Maxie off guard.

"Y'know what sharpedo looks like, don't ya? It has that big X across its' face!" Archie continued, beaming. "Think about how awesome that'll look!!"

"Are you... serious?" Maxie asked, completely baffled. 

"'Course I am! I've told ya before, haven't I? I'm proud of my scars!"

“You’re not mad? At all?” Maxie replied, still baffled. “Look what I’ve done! How in the world could you possibly still want to spend time with me after all of this?”

“What in the world are ya talkin’ about?!” Archie exclaimed. “I’m not mad, Max. Besides, none of this is your fault! I shouldn’t have messed with the zangoose, like you said. You’re my best friend, and I love… I love spendin’ time with you. There’s no way I’m gonna let one little accident ruin all that.”

“But…” Archie put his hand on Maxie’s shoulder and smiled.

“Do you believe me?”

“…All right.” He still felt guilty, but he found that Archie’s smile was infectious.

“Good. It’s your birthday, Max. We should be enjoyin’ it!”

“You do realize there's only a few hours of it left, right?" He said, looking at the clock on the wall. 

"That’s still enough time to celebrate. Which reminds me! Your mom left a gift for ya on the table!”

“Was she here earlier? Were you awake for that?” 

“Yeah. She was here with my parents, too. They didn’t stay too long, though. Figured you and me needed to get some rest. I think your mom said she was gonna show ‘em around town, though, and that they’d be back soon.” 

“That sounds like something she would do.” Maxie grabbed the box off the table and read the note attached.

_Maxie,  
I’m so sorry about what happened today! I hope you’re feeling all right, but I’m sure this cake will make you feel even better! I’ll give you your birthday presents when I take you home. If I’m not back yet, go ahead and have a slice, but make sure you give a piece to Archie, as well! I decided to take the Aogiris out for coffee, seeing how we had to trouble them by making them come up here. We’ll be back real soon! Happy birthday, Maxie._

_Love, Mom_

_P.S. There’s paper plates and some plastic silverware in the box. Love you!_

“Archie, do you feel up to eating?” Maxie asked.

"Always." Maxie opened the box and got a good look at the cake. It was a red velvet cake, covered with white frosting. The top read,  _Happy 10th Birthday Maxie!_  in red frosting, and beneath that was a little drawing of Groudon, Maxie’s favorite pokemon. At least, that’s what he figured it was. His mom’s cakes were always delicious, but her art skills, especially with frosting, were lacking. 

Maxie pulled out two paper plates and cut himself and Archie a piece of cake. 

"Here. It's not chocolate, but you need to learn to try different things." 

“You sound like my mom." Archie said, rolling his eyes. Regardless, he took the cake and ate it greedily. Maxie did, too; he hadn't realized just how hungry he was. 

"Well?" Maxie asked. 

"It doesn't taste like a couch." Archie finally said. Maxie sighed and continued eating. 

"You're hopeless." He finally said. 

“Hey, how come you’re still here with me?” Archie asked. “How come your mom didn’t take ya home?”

“I refused to go home until I was sure you were all right.” Maxie said. “It took awhile, but I got my mom to let me stay here.”

“Yeah, but I can’t imagine havin’ a birthday in a hospital is much fun. I mean, ya don’t get ice cream, there’s no gifts anywhere, your family’s not around…”

“It’s not all that bad. I mean, I have you with me, right?” Maxie smiled. “If anything, that’s better. I can’t even begin to guess how much I’ll be scolded for leaving mareep at home. At least with you I can just have fun.”

“Dude, shut up…” Archie looked embarrassed, and Maxie continued eating his cake. He was thankful that Archie was okay, both physically and in spirit. He truly felt blessed to have met him. He didn’t think people this kind and accepting existed, but here he was; sitting and laughing and eating cake, not angry at all about the scar now plastered on his face.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Archie.” Maxie determined he was going to be more careful from now on. Archie was the best friend he ever had, and he wanted it to stay that way for… forever, if it was possible.

Archie reached forward and ruffled Maxie’s hair affectionately.

“Happy birthday, Max.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "That X over Archie's eyes is just a shadow" bullshit, gamefreak, I live to suffer and thats a scar


	3. Archie, Age 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first half of this chapter literally a year ago then drastically changed the second half like.... two months ago. So if the writing style seems.... different, that's why. Hopefully its consistent enough.

The bell rang, and Archie couldn’t be happier for it. Sure, he was excited for the end of each day at school, but today he felt even more excited than usual. He shoved his things haphazardly into his bag and headed out of the classroom eagerly. 

At the end of each day, he’d stop at the school library before heading home. Today was the same. He nodded at the librarian at the front desk, and then headed to the back of the room where the private desks where desperate seniors studied for finals and other students simply took a nap. That’s where he knew he’d find Maxie.

Though they had continued being in the same school throughout middle school and now high school, they found themselves being in fewer classes together. It was inevitable; Maxie spent more of his time studying than he did participating in extracurricular activities like Archie. It was no surprise that he would wind up in more advanced classes than him. And it wasn’t as if Archie was unintelligent. No, he just put his effort where it counted. He wanted to be a marine biologist, so he put all his hard work into science classes; he honestly couldn’t care less when it came to literature and language. He only tried in the subjects he knew were imperative to his future while Maxie, ever the show off, wanted to be best in every subject he could get his hands on. They only had science together, but it was all right. Archie never felt too lonely, and the two would always walk home together. Maxie had a free period for the last class of the day and, instead of going home like most kids would, spent that time in the library studying. To each their own, Archie figured. 

Maxie always sat at the desk furthest away from the door, to the right of the room by the window. That’s where he found him today, with a stack of textbooks and his notebook open… which he was using as a pillow. Maxie was fast asleep with his pencil still in hand. Archie could see the handwriting on the paper begin to worsen and skip lines as he drifted off, and near the middle of the page it had become nothing but scribbles. Archie just sighed. This was unusual for Maxie, who was usually quick to get on Archie’s case when he dozed off in class, but as of late, Maxie had been falling asleep on his notes more and more often. Archie figured it had to do with stress, or maybe not getting enough sleep. Finals were approaching, and Maxie always tended to spend more time caring about the exams than his own well-being. And seeing how they were going to be graduating in a year, Maxie’s stress was probably even worse than before. 

“Hey, Maxie?” Archie reached forward and gently shook him. “It’s time to get up.”

“Ugh…” Maxie groaned. He sat up and adjusted his glasses. He finally noticed Archie and glared, his grogginess making him irritable. “What do you want, Archie?”

“You fell asleep in the library again.” Archie said. Maxie blinked at him in response, then looked at his sloppy notes and sighed. 

“Really, again?” He asked. “Damn it.”

“This is the third time this week!” Archie exclaimed. 

“You’re acting like I don’t know that.” Maxie replied, closing his messy notebook and putting it away in his bag. Soon the rest of his textbooks followed suit, and he and Archie headed out the door.

“Have you been gettin’ enough to eat?” Archie asked. “What about sleep? You sleepin’ enough, Max?”

“Stop panicking, Archie. I’m just a little tired.” 

“A little?”

“Just relax. As soon as all this is over, I’ll be fine, okay? This happens every year.” Archie really couldn’t argue with that. He dropped the subject and instead, he talked about what they might do during the summer ahead. Archie determined this was the year he was finally going to teach Maxie’s camerupt how to swim. He had promised this for the past four years. Maxie didn’t say much in response. Usually by now, he would’ve said something snarky in return; but instead he just stared at the ground ahead of him as he walked.

“You sure you’re feelin’ okay?” Archie asked. Maxie didn’t say anything. “Hey, Max?” He put his hand on Maxie’s shoulder and finally grabbed his attention.

“What is it, Archie?” Maxie sighed. He really did look exhausted, but he figured he shouldn’t remind him; Maxie probably knew that already.

“I, uh, actually have a few errands to run.” They reached the Slateport market, just a few blocks away from their homes. “Mind if I let ya go here?”

“It’s fine.” Maxie replied. “Did you want me to come with you?”

“No! I mean, ya got shit to study for, it’s cool.” He smirked. “Think you can make it home on your own?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Archie.” Maxie replied, rolling his eyes. Archie just laughed and waved him goodbye. It was fun getting on his nerves like that. Maxie had such a high sense of pride; it was fun to watch him get irritated over childish things like that. Yes, Maxie was… adorable.

Archie sighed. No, Maxie wouldn’t like being called that, he thought. Charming, maybe? Endearing? He needed to stop thinking about it. He was glad Maxie had left; he couldn’t begin to guess how evident his blush was. 

Archie loved Maxie. 

No, wait; maybe saying it was love was rushing it. He was a little too young to be in love, right? He wasn’t sure. Either way he liked Maxie. He liked Maxie a lot, and he had for years now. He wasn’t sure when it had started. He wasn’t sure when he had realized he was more excited to spend time with him than anyone else. He couldn’t remember worrying over a person as much as he worried over him. He wasn’t sure when being with him made his heart pound and his face heat up and when they were across the room form each other he couldn’t stop glancing in his direction and how the thought of holding his hand actually started sounding appealing.

He figured it was just a best friend thing. After all, he hadn’t felt this way around the girl he dated freshman year, nor the boy he dated when he was a junior. He figured he just had some deep bond with Maxie, seeing how they had been together for so long. He told Shelly about it, and she had promptly laughed at him.

“You realize you just described bein’ in love, right?”

His first reaction was to deny it; but it really did make sense. And now that he was aware what his feelings meant, it just made things even worse. He got nervous just being with him. When he was with Maxie, all he could think about was how nice it’d feel to run his fingers through his long hair, how he’d love to hold his hand, and maybe even kiss him…

He had to stop thinking like this. And he figured the only way to do that would be to fess up. He had no idea how Maxie would respond, of course, but he had to say something. Having nothing but his thoughts consuming him was going to make him lose it. If Maxie said no, at least he’d know for sure and be able to get over it and just remain his friend. And if Maxie said yes… Archie grinned at the thought of it.

And tomorrow, he determined, he was finally going to do it. He didn’t stop at the market just as a way of getting Maxie to leave. He was going to confess to Maxie, but he was at least going to make sure he didn’t do it empty-handed. He decided he’d make Maxie some cupcakes. That way if Maxie said yes, they’d have something to celebrate with. And if he said no… well then, at least they had some cupcakes as a snack.

He went to bed that night, imagining what Maxie’s response would be. Would he get flustered and blush, then stammer in response? No, Archie thought, Maxie rarely lost his cool; and when he did, it was usually in frustration and anger. Maxie didn’t really get embarrassed. But he supposed stoic Maxie was cute, too. Being calm and accepting his feelings with grace was nice as well. He could imagine Maxie smiling softly, telling him he liked him back in response, and gently placing his hand on his… Archie covered his face with his hands. If he kept thinking like this he wasn’t going to get any sleep at all. He closed his eyes and tried to focus his thoughts on that boring novel he had had to read for class the other day, until he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

When he got to school the next day, Maxie was absent during class. He wasn’t at the library at the end of the day, either. He felt a little embarrassed, having spent the whole day with a cake box in his hands, but Archie shrugged it off, figuring that maybe Maxie was sick, or took the day off to study more, or maybe let himself relax. He seriously doubted the latter, but headed to Maxie’s house to find out for sure anyways.

When he got there, he found it to be empty. Maxie's mother usually wasn’t home at that time anyways, but he had hoped Maxie would’ve at least opened up. He groaned and decided to head home. Maybe he’d at least answer his phone. Regardless, he was going to give him one hell of a noogie for all of this. After all, he worked hard on those cupcakes.

When he called Maxie, no one picked up. And when he tried again later, he was met with the same response.

When Maxie was absent in class again the next day, Archie was close to panicking. He wasn’t irritated about the cupcakes anymore. Now he was just concerned as to where Maxie was. What if he had been hurt somehow? What if he had gotten sick, or was in an accident and it was so bad that he had ended up in the hospital? The uncertainty was killing him.

He immediately rushed home from school that day, and stopped at Maxie’s house once more, desperately knocking on the door. This time, thankfully, the door opened, and Maxie stood there looking rather irritated. Archie was so surprised that the door actually opened and that Maxie was there and that everything was fine that he didn’t even speak for a moment, instead just staring back at him. It didn’t help how strangely Maxie was dressed, either. While he normally looked pretty nice, today he was wearing a full suit and tie for some reason. He looked rather dashing in it. In fact, Archie was about to comment on it when Maxie went to shut the door.

“Wait!” Archie exclaimed, grabbing the door before Maxie had the chance to shut it. “Wait, Max!”

“What do you want, Archie?” Maxie said, glaring at him. “I’m very tired and I’m not in the mood to talk, so if you would please-”

“Maxie?” Maxie’s mother called from somewhere in the house. Maxie noticeably cringed at her voice. “Maxie, sweetheart, is someone at the door?”

“I-it’s nothing, Mom!” Maxie replied hastily. But that didn’t stop her from heading towards the door anyways. She, too, was dressed up rather formally, wearing a nice black dress instead of her usual sweater. She smiled at Archie enthusiastically the moment she saw him.

“Oh, hello Archie!” She said with a wave. “It’s been awhile! How are you doing?”

Archie noticed Maxie’s less-than-enthusiastic gaze and decided to continue embarrassing him.

“I’m doin’ all right. And it has been awhile, Ms. Matsubusa! I was startin’ to get a little worried about Maxie. Were you two out of town or something?”

“Oh… yes, we forgot to tell you, didn’t we? There was a bit of an issue and we needed to go out of town for a bit. Sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s cool, what happened?”

“Well-”

“Mom!” Maxie interrupted. “Do you mind if I go over to Archie’s house for a bit? I need to catch up on all the schoolwork I missed.”

“But sweetheart, shouldn’t you get changed first? It’s-”

“It’s fine, bye mom!” Maxie rushed out the door and quickly shut it behind him. “Come on.” He grabbed ahold of Archie’s wrist and quickly pulled him away from the house.

“Maxie, what was that all about?” Maxie didn’t say anything. “Hey, c’mon, your mom’s a nice lady. Was that really necessary?” Still nothing. Archie was starting to grow irritated, and stopped in place, forcing Maxie to stop with him. “Hey, Max, talk to me, will ya?”

“Archie…” Maxie finally turned back to look at him, but his expression was still bitter and unreadable as always. “Would you like to come to the beach with me?”

“Uh…” He hadn’t been expecting that. “Since when do you wanna go to the beach?”

“If you don’t want to, your house is right there.”

“No, no, it’s fine! Let’s go!”

The two of them headed towards the Slateport beach, making idle small talk. At least, Archie was. Maxie didn’t seem to be in the mood for talking. At least not yet. Regardless, Archie talked on and on, happy that Maxie was safe and unharmed. Sure, his little crush announcement hadn’t gone as planned… and now that he thought about it, he had left the cupcakes at home. But hey, what was more romantic than asking someone out at the beach?

The beach was all but abandoned, seeing how late in the day it was and, while it never really got that cold in Slateport, it was still a bit too cold for most people to want to take a dip. A few beach chairs had been left out on the sand, and the two of them sat side by side, gazing out at the calm, peaceful sea. Archie remained quiet for a while, simply waiting for Maxie to talk first. If his flighty attitude was anything to go by, Maxie was going to have to bring it up on his own accord.

“Mom and I went to Lavaridge.” Maxie finally said. “Family emergency.”

“Oh… what happened? Is someone sick?”

“No, nothing like that. It was just a funeral.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Max.” Archie didn’t really know what else to add to it. The way Maxie had said it was so… matter of fact. And while Maxie had been acting strangely he didn’t seem exactly upset. Archie wasn’t quite sure what he was thinking, actually. He seemed off in general, but was he sad? In mourning? Archie simply couldn’t tell. “Whose funeral was it?” He noticed Maxie stiffen at his statement. “I-I mean ya don’t have to tell me if ya don’t wanna!!”

“It’s all right.” He replied. “It was just my father.”

“Just your…” Archie couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around the concept. If his dad were to die right now, he wouldn’t know what he’d do! So how was Maxie seemingly okay with “just” his father dying?

“Don’t give me that look.” Maxie replied. “It didn’t really come as that much of a surprise. He's been sick for awhile now. Any day now we knew it would happen. Besides, I wasn’t that close to him. I mean, I haven’t even seen him in nearly eight years.”

“Why not?” Archie asked. He accepted Maxie’s answer for now; after all, he had never seen Maxie’s dad before. He had assumed that his parents had just gotten a divorce and that was that. He had never really talked about it before, and neither had his mother.

“Oh, you know. Uprooting yourself and moving is a difficult process. It wasn’t worth the trouble.” Maxie glared, averting his gaze away from Archie.

“Max…” Archie could see Maxie gripping at his suit, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Despite that, he remained silent, simply choosing to gaze at the ocean instead of make any conversation. Maxie didn’t talk about his dad much, but Archie remembered around the first time they had met, he had told him that the reason he and his mom had moved here was due to medical issues, that Maxie had been sickly as a kid and living at a lower elevation near the sea would be better for him. Was Maxie implying… “If ya don’t mind me askin’… what happened with him? You can talk to me… y’know that, right?”

“What is there to talk about? Mom wanted to move. He didn’t. So they separated.” Maxie paused, clearly hesitating. Archie put his hand on Maxie’s shoulder in reassurance. Apparently it worked, and he spoke again. “He didn’t… like me very much. I was always so troublesome; getting sick all the time, needing help with everything… It was only a matter of time until he got frustrated.”

“Holy shit, Max, he didn’t hurt ya, did he?”

“Don’t be silly, Archie. He wasn’t some kind of monster.” Maxie replied. “He just got mad at me a lot, telling me how pathetic I was, how I should be trying harder, how I would… never amount to anything.”

“Are you serious?” Archie replied. He was trying to be reassuring, but he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on Maxie’s shoulder in frustration.

“Oh, lighten up, will you?” Maxie said. “If anything, it helped.”

“How the hell did it help?”

“It taught me self-reliance.”

“Self-reliance…” Archie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sure, this explained quite a bit. He tried to think of a single occasion throughout the years where Maxie had sought him out for help… and he couldn’t think of one. Hell, even when something was too high for Maxie to reach, he wouldn’t ask for help, and would instead find something to climb on or find something else to use. He couldn’t even begin to count the number of times Maxie had tutored him with an assignment he was struggling with, but whenever he saw Maxie struggling with any work and offered his assistance; Maxie would immediately turn it down. Not to mention the numerous times Maxie had come in to class, a scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth to hide a cold. Maxie took pride in everything he did, and while that wasn’t necessarily bad, he was taking it too far. Honestly, his pride and his lack of self-preservation was going to be the death of him one day.

“Max…”

“It’s fine, Archie. I swear.”

“Then why are you so down about it? You’re even gloomier than you usually are, and that’s sayin’ something.”

“I don’t know.” Maxie sighed. “Spending time with you in Slateport away from all that… I guess I kind of forgot about how pathetic I was.”

Pathetic? Since when was the self-proclaimed ‘Great Maxie’ pathetic? He always seemed so confident about everything. He always did everything right, he always succeeded in everything that he put his mind to… Mostly. There were some times when Maxie messed up; he was only human, after all. They were just few and very far in between. But whenever it happened, it was worrisome. Maxie would panic. He noticed it would only usually last for a second; Maxie always tried to keep his cool, calm demeanor. Maxie wasn’t much of a battler; he saw his pokemon more as friends there to assist him. But the few times he did battle and actually lost, Maxie would panic, then quickly pull his act together and pretend that the loss was no big deal. Archie had seen it; the surprise in his eyes, the initial fear and shock of losing. And that fear and panic didn’t just accompany losing in battle. He noticed Maxie tended to react dramatically to even the smallest of mistakes. Losing battles, not doing very well on a test, forgetting something at home… any mistake he made was met with panic. He never let it show for long, but Archie knew. Archie could remember clearly just how panicked Maxie had become that day all those years ago where they had been attacked by a zangoose. It seemed that though Maxie excelled at most everything he did, there was still an underlying part of him that was worried- that was terrified- of failing, of letting someone down. Archie guessed he knew why now. But he just wished he wasn’t so hard on himself; the only one who held such high expectations of him now was himself.

“Hey,” Archie said, gently rubbing Maxie’s back, “you’re pretty amazing the way you are. Y’know that, right?”

“I… guess.” Maxie said hesitantly. “But I haven’t really done anything to prove it.”

“Of course ya have! You’re an amazing person, Max!” Archie exclaimed. “You’re really clever, you always figure out the homework much quicker than I do. And-and, you’re really nice, too. You always put others before yourself! Not to mention how-” The phrase “attractive” crossed his mind, but he held back for now. “H-how good ya are with pokemon. That camerupt loves ya to pieces, as he should! The proof’s all around ya, Max!”

“Archie,” Archie could’ve sworn he saw the faintest hint of a smile on his face, but it was quickly hidden away once again, “why are you being so nice to me?”

 _Because I love you._ The words popped into Archie’s mind immediately. _Because I love you, and I have for a real long time and I wanted to do something to show it and I know I shouldn’t be focusing on this right now and I don’t want to be too cheesy and over the top because I figured ya wouldn’t like that but I didn’t want to just confess with my words either and good arceus I’m a mess right now but I know that I love you, that I know for sure, and I wish ya knew just how precious you are to me and your mom and you don’t need to be working so hard you deserve to treat yourself better and actually enjoy yourself would it kill ya to do that just once we’re only sixteen and you’re already working yourself half to death and we’re all so worried about you and I wanna hold you real bad and make sure you’re never this sad again and I also kinda wanna kiss you and I have for years now and-_

“Archie, are you all right?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m good.” He cleared his throat and sat up straight. As much as he wanted to confess right now and just finally get it off his chest, he figured it’d be best to wait. Who wanted to be confessed to right after their father had died and they felt emotionally drained? Archie supposed he could wait another week or two. Or maybe a few months. Or years. “I’m bein’ nice ‘cause you’re my friend, dummy!” Maxie didn’t seem entirely convinced by his argument, but looked far too tired to argue about it.

They went silent again for a while, simply staring at the sea before them. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, turning the ocean a deep orange. Archie thought it was beautiful, though he knew Maxie would likely never agree.

“Say, Archie?” Maxie finally asked, taking his attention away from the shimmering ocean.

“What’s up?”

“What did you want to do? You know, when we grow up?”

“We are grown up.” Archie replied.

“We’re not even old enough to drink yet. And you know what I meant. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of anything for yourself yet.”

“’Course I have!” Archie exclaimed. Granted, it was only half true. He wanted to do something to help the ocean, and by larger extent all pokemon, but he hadn’t quite yet decided what that might be. “I wanna be a marine biologist, I think. I wanna do somethin’ to help the ocean, y’know? Have ya seen how awful some of these beaches get sometimes? I can’t help but imagine how bad it must be for the poor tentacool and magikarp that live there. Besides, helpin’ the sea will help all of us: pokemon and people alike one day. Why? What about you?”

“I’m going find Groudon and use it to help humanity.” He didn’t even pause to think. Archie would’ve laughed if Maxie’s tone wasn’t so solemn. It seemed that, at least at the moment, Maxie was dead set on this.

“Are you serious?” He asked anyways.

“I always am, Archie.”

“But… why? I thought ya wanted to be a geologist.”

“I did. I still do. But I want to make sure I actually do something, too. I want to help this world. I want to help mankind.” He stretched his arm out and played idly with the suit’s cuff. The suit was nice, but it was still a bit big on him, and Archie could see the fabric dangling loosely around his skinny wrist. “But what in the world can I expect to do with this pathetic body? I can’t move the land by myself, you know. I refuse to be the scientist who sits in an office all day only to be forgotten. No, I want to actually help the world myself. And if I found a way to revive Groudon, to control it… I could create more space for people to live, more land for resources…. Think of all the people I could help!”

“Ya really think that’s possible?” Archie asked. “I mean, is there any proof? I wanna see Kyogre with my own two eyes more than anyone else on this planet, but how can we be sure they’re actually real? All we know about ‘em is from myths and fairytales anyways!”

“They have to be real. I know it.” Maxie said. “Besides, you should believe that legendaries exist more than anyone else. Didn’t you meet jirachi when you were around twelve?”

“Who told ya?”

“No one did. I just happened to see the photo of you with it in your room. What did you wish for, anyways?”

“It’s not important.” Archie replied.

“Oh, come on. You’ve been telling me that for years!”

“Fine.” Archie sighed. “I wished that my carvanha would evolve into the strongest sharpedo ever.”

“Are you serious?” Maxie laughed. “You had a once in a life time opportunity, and _that’s_ what you wished for?”

“H-hey, don’t laugh at me! I was just a lil’ scamp!” Archie stammered, flushing a little. “Besides, it worked, didn’t it? I beat your camerupt every time!”

“You would’ve won anyways because of type advantage, idiot.”

“Well, what would you have wished for at twelve?” Maxie shut his eyes for a moment to think.

“I’m not sure.” He finally responded. “But I’m sure it would’ve been something more meaningful than that.”

“My wish was meaningful. Nothin’s more meaningful than the bond between a trainer and their first pokemon.”

“If you say so.” He said, rolling his eyes. “But still, you see my point. I’m going to find Groundon one day; it must be real. It has to be.”

“If ya find Groudon, I’d like to be there when ya wake it up.”

“I’m holding you to that promise, you know.” Maxie said with a smile.

“But of course. I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world, I swear.”

“Thanks Archie.” Maxie sighed. “But I suppose I’m just disappointed that I won’t be able to do it while my father is alive. It’d be nice for him to see me prove him wrong.”

“Ha! That sounds like the Maxie I know!” Archie laughed. “Speakin’ of which, what’s with the get up? Did ya really need to dress up that much for a funeral?”

“Normally I wouldn’t, but my grandmother insisted on it.” Maxie replied, tugging at the suit uncomfortably. “It used to be my father’s. And it’s excruciatingly uncomfortable. I can’t wait to get rid of it.”

“Well, why wait?” Archie asked. He stood up and chucked off his jacket, throwing it lazily on the chair behind him.

“What are you doing?” Maxie asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Goin’ for a swim. C’mon, why don’t ya join me?”

“Why in the world would I do that?”

“Why not? Goin’ for a swim always clears my mind. Besides, it’s a fun way to ruin your shitty dad’s shitty suit.”

“Archie-”

“Well?” Archie extended his hand out for Maxie and smiled. Maxie just looked at him hesitantly before finally reaching out and taking his hand.

“I don’t see why not.”

Archie just grinned and helped him up. He led him to the dock, which was thankfully empty at the moment. He let go of Maxie’s hand and took a few steps back.

“Okay, on three. One… two…”

Before he could say three, Maxie had already sprinted past him and jumped into the ocean. He resurfaced a moment later, coughing heavily. Now that Archie thought about it, he wasn’t sure if Maxie had ever actually learned how to swim. At the very least this area wasn’t too deep and he didn’t seem to be struggling to stay afloat.

“Well?” Maxie asked, glaring up at him. “Are you just going to stand there and make me look like an idiot?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m comin’.” Archie sprinted and dove into the ocean. Maxie was floating a few feet away from him, his arms wrapped around himself. “How do you feel?”

“This is terrible.” Maxie groaned. “It’s freezing!”

“Well other than that how do ya feel?”

Maxie paused, clearly thinking about it for a moment. He then smirked and splashed Archie with the seawater.

“Hey!” Archie shouted. “What was that for?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Maxie replied sarcastically. “I thought you liked the water.” Before Archie could respond, he did it again.

“You little-” Archie couldn’t help but grin as he joined him in his little fight, sending a large splash right back at him.

They continued their little water fight for a while, but eventually Archie let Maxie get the upper hand. After all, he couldn’t help but gaze at Maxie as he laughed, careless as a child. Even though it was a bit cold in the water, he was happy he had made Maxie laugh; and he hoped he’d be able to do it more in the future. Maxie had no idea just how lovely he looked with a smile gracing his face. Eventually Maxie calmed down, and looked rather embarrassed about what he had just done.

“Ah… sorry about that.” He finally said. “I guess I got a bit carried away.”

“Eh, I don’t care.” Archie shrugged. “I told ya swimmin’ helps clears your mind.”

The two of them swam back to shore, albeit slowly. Maxie truly hadn’t learned to swim these past eight years, but thankfully he got the basic gist of it, and the water became shallow soon enough.

“How’s your suit?” Archie asked.

“I can safely say that it’s perfectly ruined, thanks.” Maxie replied.

“Oh, my apologies.” Archie replied, matching his sarcastic tone. He was about to put his coat back on when he noticed Maxie shivering beside him. “Hey, Max?”

“What is it?”

Archie draped his coat over Maxie’s shoulders and smiled.

“You’re gonna do great things one day. I just know it.”

“…Let’s go home, Archie.” Maxie turned to go, but despite how fast he had turned around Archie had still noticed his smile.

Archie was still a little disappointed that his love proposal hadn’t gone the way he had planned but… he’d deal with it when the time came. He learned a lot about Maxie today, and he needed support far more than Archie’s childish feelings. Maybe one day he’d tell him, but it was best to wait for now. Maxie had big dreams, and Archie wanted to be there with him every step of the way. Maybe during that time Archie could finally tell him? But more importantly, he had no idea just how much Maxie disliked himself, and now that he was aware of the truth, he hoped that he’d be able to show him just how great he was, even if it took a long time. Regardless, he wasn’t worried; he was sure they had plenty of years ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen.............. Archie is the flustered, totally infatuated one while Maxie's the oblivious one. I don't make up the rules, okay,


	4. Maxie, Age 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um. Someone throws up in this chapter. Didn't think that was enough to warrant a tag for it but. It's there.

Maxie returned to the apartment, exhausted from the day’s events. Even though it was a Friday, he had stayed in the school’s labs late, figuring he’d use the extra time to do some extra research. Currently, he was studying slugma and whether or not the theory that they had originated from the magma contained inside Mount Chimney was true or not. It was interesting enough, Maxie figured, but he wished he could be studying Groudon, too, to see if it had any part in the creation of Mount Chimney or if the two were somehow related. He didn’t bring it up of course; according to all sources, Groudon was a thing of myths, and there was a reason geology and mythology were two different courses. 

“Archie?” He asked, but got no response. That was strange. Usually by seven-thirty Archie would be sitting on the couch, playing video games or watching some pokemon contests and maybe doing some homework while watching. He shrugged it off and headed to the bedroom. Archie was absent, but his mightyena was curled up on his bed. Maxie glared; he had told Archie again and again just how much of a mess his mightyena made when he was out. But he figured it was okay for now. At least the mightyena was staying on Archie’s bed and hadn’t gone across the room to Maxie’s. Yet.

The mightyena hopped off the bed and ran over to Maxie, rubbing his head against Maxie’s thigh. He noticed a sticky note was stuck to mightyena’s back.

“Figures.” Maxie muttered, petting the creature and removing the note from his fur. “Archie can’t just leave a message like a normal person.”

_Maxie,_

_I’m going to a party tonight. I won’t be back until late! I left some curry in the fridge._

_-Archie_

He had also doodled a messy Kyogre by his signature. Maxie rolled his eyes at it; really, Archie could be so childish.

After graduating high school, the two of them ended up going to the same university in Rustboro City. Just as they had anticipated, Archie decided to major in marine biology and Maxie in geology and mythology. For the most part, it was pretty nice. Archie preferred it from high school, because finally he got to focus mostly on what he wanted to learn instead of taking countless classes that he saw no point in. Maxie saw it as a learning opportunity, yes, but it was also just another bullet point on the long list of things he’d have to do until he finally reached his final goal. He certainly didn’t hate it and definitely enjoyed a lot of it, but the sooner it was over, the closer he’d be to his dreams, and he anticipated that far more than anything else.

He and Archie had stayed in a dorm their first two years, then eventually shared an apartment when they became juniors. Maxie found it to be a little strange. Archie had made so many friends who were also interested in the ocean and battling and water type pokemon and he was sure that plenty of them would’ve loved to live with him. But still, he had refused to leave Maxie’s side this entire time. He really did appreciate it, but he found it to be a bit strange. Wasn’t he holding Archie’s potential relationships back? Why in the world would he hang around Maxie when so many others had similar interests? But Maxie found himself happy, nonetheless. He hadn’t tried to socialize much with others in his classes; getting through the classes and impressing the professor was what mattered most, so he made very few friends here. But at the end of the day, he could always come back and find Archie, who would always greet him with a warm welcome. While Maxie enjoyed his independence, it was nice for Archie to always be with him.

Maxie heated up the curry, and then pushed the couch by the T.V. out of the way. He had always hated that couch; it was incredibly uncomfortable, plus it was covered in mightyena hair. If Archie was going to have his pokemon out the whole night, he might as well do the same. He pulled Camerupt’s ball out of his bag, and released him. He looked confused; due to his size, it was rare for him to be out in his and Archie’s tiny apartment. Maxie strolled up to him and pet his head gently with his free hand.

“It’s just me and you tonight, Camerupt.” Maxie said. “Do you mind keeping me company?” Camerupt leaned into his touch and growled happily. Maxie wasn’t much of a battler, and pokemon weren’t allowed on campus or in classrooms unless they were for a demonstration or for helping students with disabilities, so he didn’t get to spend as much time as he liked with his camerupt. Camerupt curled up on the floor, and Maxie sat down and leaned against him. It was the middle of October, and it was freezing out. And even if there was heating in their apartment, Maxie was always freezing. Camerupt was always helpful for that with his naturally warm fur. He ate his curry, and pulled out one of the journals for class, figuring he’d get some studying in before Archie got home.

* * *

 

Maxie awoke with a start at the sound of the front door slamming open. He was disoriented for a moment; his neck hurt from sleeping while leaning against his camerupt, and he had no idea where he was until his pokemon stirred at the commotion, too. He turned and saw Archie, leaning on the doorframe and looking dazed.

“Oh, uh, sorry Max.” Archie muttered. “I didn’t mean to wake ya.” He stumbled into the room, clumsily shutting the door behind him. Maxie could tell from the flush on his cheeks to the glazed look in his eyes that Archie was completely intoxicated. He sighed, this wasn’t the first time he had come home like this, and it probably wasn’t the last time, either. Archie wasn’t necessarily a binge drinker, but if offered a drink, he would take it, and what else did people do at parties?

“It’s fine.” Maxie replied. “I didn’t mean to sleep there, anyways.” He returned Camerupt back to his ball, and headed towards Archie.

“What’re ya doin’ out here this late anyways? Were ya waitin’ up for me or somethin’?”

“Of course not. I just figured if you got to have your mightyena out, I got to have my camerupt out, too.”

“Oh.” Was all Archie said in response. Maxie looked at him quizzically; it was strange for Archie, even while drunk, to be this unresponsive. Archie paid no mind to his staring however, and chose to stare at the ground before him absentmindedly.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” Maxie asked.

“…Huh? Yeah. No, I mean… yeah.” Archie stammered. Maxie just rolled his eyes and put Archie’s arm around his shoulders.

“Here, I’ll walk you to bed.” Maxie said. Honestly, with how much Archie was swaying, it was a miracle he had gotten back here in one piece.

“Nah… I’m not tired.” Archie replied, following Maxie’s direction anyways.

“You’re not now, but you will be soon. And I know just how exhausted you’ll be tomorrow.”

“It’s already tomorrow.” Maxie glanced at the clock, which read 1:34 am. That was strange; usually Archie was out much later when it came to these kinds of parties.

“You know what I meant. We’re going to bed.”

“Is that an invitation?” Archie chuckled at his own joke, and Maxie just groaned.

“If you keep talking like that, I’m not going to help you.”

“I said I’m not tired.”

“Fine.” He stopped at the couch, and helped Archie sit down. Much to his surprise, he didn’t collapse the moment he sat down. He didn’t try to engage Maxie in inconsequential conversation, either. Instead, he just sat there, gazing forwards at nothing in particular. Normally at this point Maxie would be scolding him for his reckless behavior, but he found himself getting a bit worried. “Archie, are you all right?”

“Yeah. I’m good.” Maxie wasn’t quite sure what to say back to him. Usually when Archie had gotten drunk from a party, he’d be incredibly jovial; laughing a lot, happily talking about something or other incoherently and making awful puns that made Maxie cringe. Maxie could deal with that, seeing how it was essentially Archie’s regular personality except multiplied by five and with slurred speech. But seeing him this withdrawn and sullen… that was unusual and unnerving. Maxie could think of very few occasions in which Archie wasn’t cheerful, and even then he managed to turn it around fairly quickly.

“How was the party, Archie?” Maxie finally asked, sitting down beside him.

“We graduate in a few years, huh?” Archie said, still focusing on nothing.

“Yes. I don’t see how that has anything to do with what I just asked, but yes.”

“It all went by so quickly, don’t ya think?”

“No, it really hasn’t.” Maxie replied. In fact, it could go by much, much quicker in his opinion, but he kept that to himself for now.

“A lotta those people at the party are graduatin’ this year. They were all talkin’ about what they were gonna do in the future, where they were gonna go…”

“Really? I thought all you people did at those parties was drink. Honestly, you could be more careful about that! I mean-”

“Are ya scared, Max?” Archie interrupted again. “Of the future. Doesn’t it scare ya at all?” Maxie paused, forgetting whatever he was going to scold Archie for.

The future… yes, he thought about that constantly. He pictured it over and over again: he’d be able to see Groudon with his own eyes, he’d revive it and control it, and he’d use it to expand the land, creating more resources and space for everyone. He pictured people being proud of him. He pictured his name going down in history textbooks for years to come. He imagined being a hero. He imagined being revered and loved by all. He thought about that glorious future constantly.

But rarely did he think about what it would take to get there. Yes, he was working hard in school and doing all he could to excel, but rarely did he dwell on just how difficult this would all be. It was that end idea of a better world that kept him optimistic and determined through each passing day. When it really came down to it… his dream, his future… it was uncertain. He could do it, he was sure of it; but that didn’t change the fact that if he truly thought about it… he was nervous.

“Yes, Archie.” Maxie finally said. “I am a little wary of the future. But who isn’t? No one’s future is set in stone. As long as we stay focused and work hard, we can get what we want.” Archie didn’t say anything, instead leaning forward and burying his face in his hands. Maxie hesitated; he was never good at this cheering up others thing. He never really had the need to, either. Archie was so rarely unhappy or upset that he never needed much cheering up. Or maybe he had been hiding it. Maxie had no idea that Archie was so worried about his future. What else could he have been hiding from him? He thought for a moment, trying to remember what Archie usually did for him when he got frustrated with something. He’d usually touch him; Archie was a very affectionate person, and always had been. Whenever he talked with someone, he’d usually have his hand on their shoulder. If they were happy, he’d ruffle their hair, and if they were sad…

Maxie reached out and gingerly placed his hand on Archie’s back. It felt weird to be doing this; Maxie didn’t necessarily hate physical contact, but rarely did he have a reason to initiate it. He patted Archie’s back gently and continued.

“I’m sure you can get what you want, too.”

“Maxie…” Archie finally muttered. He looked up at Maxie, who noticed his face looked far more flushed than before. “But what if what I want… isn’t a thing? What if it’s a person? I can’t just… no matter how hard I want… I can’t make someone be with me. I can’t force someone to stay with me. I can’t control another person… I just… What am I gonna do? We’re all gonna graduate, then who knows what? I’ve already lost contact with so many high school friends, who’s to say the same isn’t gonna happen here? We all get on different paths and we drift apart and we never talk again and all those memories don’t mean shit anymore…”

“Archie, what are you talking about?” Maxie almost wanted to laugh. Was all of this because Archie had a crush? Maxie had suffered through Archie complaining about a million and a half of those. He’d be fine. “Is this all over a crush? I mean-”

“You’re not just a crush!!” Archie interrupted. “You’re my best friend, you’re the person I’ve been closest to my whole damn life and I… I… You’re so smart, y’know that? You’re so good at every damn thing ya decide to do… how am I ever gonna keep up? Y’know what ya want out of life, and I know you’re gonna get it. We’re together here now, but how long is that gonna last? We’re gonna graduate and you’re gonna do your thing and who knows if I’ll be with ya then. Everything… everything’s so uncertain. We could end up separatin’, we could end up goin’ our separate ways and I… I don’t know what I’ll do, I…”

He finally paused to catch his breath. Maxie didn’t say anything either, too shocked to even speak. When Archie said he was worried about the future, he hadn’t expected… this. He figured he’d be worried about finding a good job that was fun too, about being financially stable or something along those lines. But this…

“I love you.” He continued, “I love ya so much… but you’re so perfect. Who knows how long it will take for ya to leave me behind? I can’t be holdin’ ya back forever…”

“Archie…” Maxie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Archie loved him? How the hell was that possible? He had known that Archie was attracted to men as well as women, sure, but why in the world would he fall for him? He was too serious; he was nothing like any of Archie’s other friends. The two of them were complete opposites when it came to everything, right down to their favorite colors. Why in the world would he love him? This must be some misunderstanding; it had to be Archie getting sad while drunk, and blowing it out of proportion with the first person he saw. “You’re drunk. You must be mistaken; I mean, you aren’t thinking clearly…”

“Then I haven’t been thinkin’ clearly for years now.”

“Archie-”

Archie looked like he was going to say something else, but instead gagged and brought a hand up to his mouth. He quickly got up and hurriedly dashed to the bathroom. Maxie followed behind, slowly, of course, giving Archie enough time to let it all out. He leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door, waiting until the sounds of Archie’s retching ceased and all he could hear were a few choked coughs.

“Are you about done in there?” Maxie finally asked.

“Bite me, Maxie.” Archie replied weakly.

“Do you want a glass of water or something?”

“I wanna sleep.” Archie said. Maxie rolled his eyes. If there was anything that could make Archie act more childish than usual, it was alcohol.

“Fine. But brush your teeth first. You’ll thank me in the morning. And you better flush that toilet, too. I’m not cleaning up after you.” Archie didn’t respond, but he heard the toilet flush and the sink begin to run, so he figured Archie was being obedient for once. He took this time to change out of his own clothes and into pajamas, then met Archie by the door. He once again let Archie lean on him, but suddenly became very aware of just how tightly Archie was squeezing him. Was he squeezing him that tightly earlier, too? He hadn’t paid attention to it until now. Archie all but collapsed on his bed when they got to the bedroom, not even noticing his mightyena, who sniffed and pawed at him curiously. Maxie dug through Archie’s bag until he found Migthyena’s pokeball, and returned the creature. Then he rolled Archie onto his side, just in case.

Maxie sighed. This was what he was used to when it came to Archie being drunk: passing out immediately and overall being a nuisance. He could handle that. But the love confession? That was something else entirely. He switched off the light and crawled into his own bed, putting his glasses on the table beside him. He was exhausted; school had been long and sleeping against his camerupt had been more of an unfulfilling nap than anything else. But still, sleep evaded him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Archie had told him earlier. He knew he should just ignore it and forget about it. Archie had been drunk, and even if he denied it, he still wasn’t thinking clearly. Everyone knew that what one said while drunk really shouldn’t be taken seriously. This included love confessions. Maxie figured he should ignore it, knowing that once Archie woke up, he probably wouldn’t remember a thing about tonight, and that love confession would just be a strange memory the two could laugh about in a few years.

But still, Maxie couldn’t help but dwell on it. Even if Archie wasn’t drunk and actually did love him, he wasn’t sure how he felt in return. What did love… romantic love, that is, even feel like? He knew what it was like to love. He loved his mom, who cherished him above everything else. He loved his camerupt, who had helped save his and Archie’s lives and had always been by his side. And he loved Archie. But like that? He wasn’t sure. He liked Archie; what he had said about them being best friends was most certainly true. But love… what in the world did that even feel like? What did it look like? He had so few examples to work off of. His parents had probably been in love at some point, but that was likely before he had been born. He hated thinking about their relationship; he drove them apart, after all, and he remembered them arguing a lot, and neither of them seemed too happy around the other. He tried to think about other romantic relationships he had seen; he had remembered spending some time around the girl Archie had dated freshman year of high school and the boy he had ended up dating junior year, and while they were both nice people, it still ended the same as it had with his own parents: anger, fighting, and the two of them cutting it off and never really talking to one another again.

Maxie liked Archie a lot. Even though his enthusiasm was a bit draining and he could be a little loud and the two of them disagreed a lot, he still found himself enjoying Archie’s company greatly. He smiled more when he was around Archie, some of his most enjoyable conversations were with Archie, and he had some of his fondest memories with him as well. Archie was one of the only people in this world whom he could call a friend, and he liked him. He wondered, was this a crush? He wasn’t sure; he never really thought about holding Archie’s hand, or kissing him, or anything of that sort. But he realized he wouldn't mind that, either. That, and he had never really thought that way about anyone his age, and if he had to choose, Archie was the one out of the lot of them that he liked best. He figured he wouldn’t mind entering a relationship with Archie, if that’s what he actually wanted and it wasn’t just him blabbering while drunk. It wouldn’t be all that different from their friendship, right? He thought about it and shook his head; no, that was a stupid idea. He saw how love always turned out in the end, over and over again. He liked Archie; he didn’t want to end up hating him for some reason or another. So for now, he decided, he’d sleep on it; no point in making a final decision if he wasn’t even sure how Archie felt about it.

He woke up the next morning early as usual. He still felt groggy, but he got out of bed nonetheless. He glanced over to Archie’s bed, where Archie still lay, fast asleep and still in his clothes from the night before. His hair was messy and his clothes were disheveled; but at least he hadn’t thrown up again. Maxie grabbed his glasses and headed to the kitchen to make himself some coffee as usual. A few minutes later he heard the bedroom door creak open, and Archie stumbled in, groaning, with a hand pressed to his forehead in pain.

“Good morning.” Maxie said, pouring himself a mug of coffee.

“Yeah, mornin’.” Archie grumbled. He sat down at their small table, holding his head in his hands.

“Sleep well?” Maxie asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, slept like a god damned sleepin’ beauty.” Archie said. “Pour me some coffee.”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“I don’t care, just give me some.” Maxie shrugged and poured him a cup, too. Maxie sat across from him as Archie too a long swig of the drink. He slammed the half-empty mug back down and grimaced. “How much sugar did ya put in this? How can ya even take it this sweet?”

“I don’t understand how you can take it black. It’s disgusting that way.” Maxie said, taking a sip of his own.

“You’re disgusting.” Archie protested.

“I told you that you weren’t going to like it.” Maxie replied. “If you want to make yourself some disgusting bitter coffee, be my guest.” Archie looked at him for a moment, then groaned, far too lazy and hungover to make his own. He caved in and took another swig of the sweetened coffee. “That’s what I thought.”

“Shut up, Max.” Archie replied. The two of them sat in silence for a moment just drinking their coffee as the wingull chirped outside. Maxie wanted to say something, anything about what happened the night before, but he decided he’d bide his time, and wait to see if Archie even remembered anything at all.

“I’m never drinkin’ that much again.” Archie finally said.

“That’s what you say after every party.”

“I mean it this time; my head’s poundin’, and I don’t even remember how I got here last night.” Maxie’s grip on his coffee shook for an instant, but Archie didn’t notice it.

“Really? You don’t remember anything at all?” Maxie asked, keeping his cool.

“Nothin’. I remember bein’ at the party, I think I petted my friend’s glalie and it hurt a little… then I woke up in my bed.” He paused. “I didn’t do anythin’ too weird last night, did I?”

“Well…” Maxie hesitated. Part of him was relieved that Archie had no recollection of the night before. Even though he had fussed over it for a while before finally drifting off to sleep, Maxie still hadn’t come to a decision. Did he accept Archie’s feelings and jeopardize their entire friendship? Or did he turn him down, valuing their friendship over the potential for something more? He had weighed the pros and cons of each option all night, and hadn’t gotten anywhere close to a final conclusion. Luckily, all that worrying was for naught, Archie clearly didn’t remember a damn thing, and that all must have been the ramblings of a drunken mind. There was no way Archie could be in love with someone like him! No way! He figured he’d keep quiet about the confession for now; he could use it to tease him in the future. “You basically collapsed through the door, then you threw up, and then I dragged you to bed. So, same as usual after those idiotic parties.”

“Oh… jeez, I’m sorry, Max.” Archie replied, looking a little embarrassed.

“It’s fine. You actually made it to the bathroom on time for once.” That just embarrassed Archie even more. He quickly changed the subject to something else, deciding to talk to Maxie about what happened at the part last night. He talked about seeing his friend’s glalie, and seeing how long he could put his hand on it before it got too cold. He told Maxie about how he feared he was going to end up getting frostbite and would have to get his fingers amputated. Maxie laughed; it was nice seeing Archie like this again, back to his normal, cheerful self. Yes, he was happy that Archie hadn’t remembered his little breakdown from the night before; he’d prefer this happy Archie to the depressive one any day.

But part of him still felt uneasy; he wasn’t quite sure what it was. 

He went about his usual routine for the day while Archie took a nap, valuing his well being over his homework. That feeling never left Maxie the whole day, but he tried to ignore it and instead focus on his notes for an upcoming exam. During his fifth read through of his notes, he accidentally spilled some water on his notebook, ruining the paper and making the ink spread. He didn’t get mad; he just stared at the messy paper, realizing just what he had been feeling all day.

It was disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting deep and existential over random shit at like 2 in the morning is the true early twenties experience™


	5. Archie, Age 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end, so to speak.  
> I'd like to thank the wonderful kessavel-art for drawing art for this fic!! TW for blood btw. (http://kessavel-art.tumblr.com/post/147469663720)  
> Um.... let me know if I should tag this fic as anything else...?

"Team Rocket?" Archie asked. He was sprawled out on Maxie's bed playing idly with his bandanna as Maxie sat at his desk, organizing his many notebooks. "I've never heard of them."

"Neither have I, until today." Maxie replied. "Apparently they're an organization that started in Kanto, and they have a small sect here in Hoenn."

"Well, what's so great about 'em?" Archie asked. He figured that if he had never heard of them, then they probably weren't that spectacular. 

"They're an organization devoted to finding legendary pokemon. At least that's what I was told." Maxie turned to Archie, flashing one of his rare smiles. "Isn't that incredible?" Archie wasn't sure what to say. It piqued his interest, but he wasn't sure.

“I thought you were gonna find Groudon on your own.”

“I’m still going to find it. But a feat as great as that simply cannot be done without any help.” Maxie sighed. “If I could do it all on my own, I absolutely would. But I hardly have the means to find a way to revive a god all by myself at the moment. If this organization is dedicated to legendaries, they have to have something that will help me.”

"I guess that’s fair." Archie finally said. If he was being honest, this whole secret organization thing sounded incredibly suspicious. But he couldn’t think of any other way Maxie could do what he needed, and if Maxie approved of them, it couldn’t be that bad, right? "So, what, are ya planning on joinin' them or something?"

"I believe so," He replied, "I mean, they even sought me out on graduation. Offered me good pay, too. Apparently they were looking for students who focused on environmental sciences." 

"So that's where ya ran off to…" Archie said. "Wait a sec, how come they didn't talk to me then?"

"Probably because you weren't a valedictorian." Maxie sneered. Archie just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. At least I had fun in school." 

"So, what do you say? Will you come with me?" Maxie asked. 

"Well, where are these spaceship guys at, anyways?"

"Rocket. And apparently they're based not too far from here, up by Meteor Falls." Archie liked the sound of that. Meteor Falls was one of the few places they were both happy to visit. Maxie adored exploring the caves while Archie was just happy to be around the pretty waterfalls inside. 

"Yeah, I'm down. If you think they'll take someone like me."

"I'm sure they will." Maxie snatched the bandana from Archie's hands and used it to tie his hair back. "Besides, you're much smarter than you let on."

"If you say so." Archie hurriedly got up to go grab his shoes, hoping that Maxie hadn't caught notice of the flush on his face. 

The two of them decided to join Team Rocket, seeing how it was nearby and the promises of having the means to research and find the legendaries they dreamed of was too much to ignore. Maxie was appointed as a key researcher pretty early on while Archie... was given the status of grunt.

He knew the reason why. They made it pretty damn obvious, too. He was strong in physique and that stature would be useful for quick missions. But that didn't change the fact that he hated it. He wanted to be with Maxie. He wanted to be in a lab with Maxie, researching Kyogre and taunting Maxie with all the progress he had made. He wanted to be with Maxie, pursuing his own dream by his side too. He hated not being able to see him all day. Maxie always came back to their apartment late, sometimes long after Archie had gone to bed. Or, on the occasions he was earlier than that, he’d keep to himself and write away in his notebook even while at home.

It didn't take long for Team Rocket to show off its true colors to the new grunts. The jobs started out simple enough: help fix things up in the new base, catch and train wild pokemon, etc. But as time passed, it became clear what kind of team Team Rocket was. Soon, the admins were telling the grunts to steal pokemon from trainers. While some, like Archie, seemed uneasy by the idea, many of the grunts were happy to oblige; in fact, it looked like they were having fun during all of this. He couldn't understand how anyone could possibly be enjoying that. He could steal documents, lab equipment, nearly anything but other trainer's pokemon? That was a little too disgusting. But they sent him to work anyways, despite his protests. Fine, he figured. If they were going to force him to do horrible jobs, then he'd be sure to be horrible at them. He'd have a thousand excuses as to why he hadn't stolen any pokemon: he forgot to bring his own and couldn't battle, the other trainer had outrun him, the other trainer had beaten him in battle, and so on. Not only that, but in the middle of the night, he and some of the other grunts who didn't like Team Rocket's ways would release some of the stolen pokemon, who would hopefully find their way home. 

One night, Archie snuck out. He was going to release some of the stolen pokemon. Usually he’d go in groups with other grunts who disliked the team, but as of late, more and more guards were being stationed nearby. It seemed even the higher ups were getting word of some of the issues in the team, and it was much safer to go alone.

When Archie approached the building where the pokemon were being held, he noticed a guard standing out front. That was no surprise, but the sheer height of the guy was. Archie considered himself fairly tall, but this man easily towered over him. Not only that, but he was incredibly muscular. So much so that the sleeves on his shirt were torn up. Archie treaded carefully, but it didn’t seem like this guard was paying much attention. He was crouched down, focusing on something Archie couldn’t see from his hiding spot. Archie strained his neck trying to get a better look, but in the process, he stepped on a twig, which cracked beneath his feet. The guard immediately stood up straight, glaring in Archie’s direction.

“Who’s there?!” He shouted. Archie thought for a moment. There was no way he could take this guy in a physical fight. And while he was confident in his battling skills, that was sure to cause a ruckus. The last thing he needed was more people getting in his way. He figured the best option was to go talk to the guy. Archie was good at talking; maybe he could talk his way out of this one.

“Heya, buddy!” Archie exclaimed, walking casually towards the large man. “How are ya doin’ on this lovely evening?”

“Uh…” The man looked cautious, but didn’t seem particularly angry. That was good. “I’m fine.”

“What were ya playin’ with there?” Archie asked, noticing the man holding a pokeball in his hand.

“It’s, uh…” The man looked around nervously, before stooping down to Archie’s level, his voice just barely above a whisper. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Don’t see why not.” Archie replied. The man smiled, and tossed his pokeball, releasing a fluffy skitty. It mewled happily at the sight of her owner and immediately nuzzled up against his leg.

“Aww, what a cute skitty.” Archie exclaimed. “Mind if I…?” The man nodded, and Archie leaned down and pet the skitty. She seemed wary of him at first, but soon enough she leaned into his touch.

“She’s real sweet, isn’t she?” The man replied.

“Sure is. Why were ya hidin’ her?”

“I’m not supposed to have pokemon out when I’m on guard.” He said with a shrug. “And… I’m not really supposed to have pokemon like her anyways.”

“What’s wrong with her? I’ve seen strong skitty before!”

“That’s just it. She’s my friend, I don’t use her for fighting.”

“Oh.” Archie looked at the man petting his skitty gently in silence. Despite his hulking appearance, he seemed rather… soft. What in the world was a guy like that doing here? “Ya don’t seem that enthusiastic about this whole guarding thing.”

“Oho, is it that obvious?” The man chuckled. “Yeah, I think they have me doin’ this ‘cause I’m scary.”

“You don’t seem that scary. You’re interesting!”

“I…” The man looked shocked for a moment, then burst into a huge grin. “Thanks! You’re interesting too, bro!” He smacked Archie on the back, which honestly hurt quite a bit, but Archie laughed it off anyways, pretty sure that it was unintended.

“It’s Archie.” He corrected, holding his hand out to shake.

“And I’m Matt.” Matt replied, choosing to grab Archie’s hand give it a squeeze instead. With that he sat down, letting his skitty climb into his lap. “So, Archie, what’re you doing here, anyways?”

“I was gonna ask you the same.” Archie said, sitting down beside him. “You seem too nice to be part of Rocket. How’d ya wind up here?”

“Oh, I dunno.” Matt shrugged, visibly less enthusiastic about this topic. “It’s a job. I was offered money.” He paused, idly petting his skitty. “They’ll kill me if I leave.”

“So they told ya that too, huh?” Archie asked. Matt just nodded. “Somehow I doubt they really would.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I mean there’s a ton of us. Something tells me they wouldn’t care if we bailed.”

“But what if they did?” Matt asked hesitantly.

“It’s up to you whether or not you wanna take the risk. I would, but…” Maxie, he thought. He had no idea how Maxie was fairing. Maybe he was having the time of his life. Regardless, he wasn’t leaving without him. “It’d take a while to get all the shit ya need together, find a new job and so on, I guess.”

“What do you think you’d do?”

“I’m not sure.” Archie shrugged. “I want to help the environment. I figured this would be a good place to start, but Rocket seems to only give a damn about money.”

“Maybe you could make your own team then.”

“What?” Archie almost wanted to laugh.

“I’m serious!” Matt insisted. “You seem capable enough. So why not?”

“What, no way! I’m just a grunt that doesn’t even do his job correctly!”

“Breaking the rules is how people get ahead, right?” Matt smiled and stood up, pulling a key out of his pocket. “You’re here to free the pokemon, aren’t you?” Archie just nodded. “That’s what I thought. Well, at least now I have an excuse to join in, too.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“A friend.” He replied, unlocking the door. “And future teammate, I hope.”

Matt and Archie soon became quick friends and gained the reputation of being two of the biggest rebels within the team. And it was a title the two of them wore with pride. As word spread about their mostly secret rebellion, they gained themselves quite a following of grunts that also didn't want to be part of Rocket. Grunts who needed the money, grunts who had nowhere else to go, grunts who looked up to them for being so loud about their opinions. A lot of them agreed with Matt, saying that Archie should make his own team, and the more people Archie had following in his footsteps, the more he could see it happening. The problem was starting one.

And what about Maxie? He’d want to include him of course, but no way in hell he'd follow Archie's orders. Maybe they could start a team together? Maybe he'd bring it up. If he ever got the chance to bring it up. He hadn't talked to, let alone seen, Maxie in what felt like weeks. 

* * *

 

One day, months later, he returned to the apartment, feeing utterly exhausted. To say that the day had been disappointing was an understatement. Apparently some of the head scientists had hypothesized that Kyogre was sleeping in Shoal Cave. Archie had signed up immediately to go, figuring that this would be his chance. He'd find Kyogre and be able to leave Team Rocket for it... or at least change them. But after hours of searching the freezing caverns only to be pelted by blizzards stirred up by glalie and soaked by the high tide coming in, the mission was declared a failure. He remembered the look on the admin's face being the highlight of the day. He looked like he was going to kill someone, but looked incredibly pathetic while he shivered in soaked, dripping clothing. He had called up the boss to explain the plan was a failure and to punish whichever dumbass scientist had the bright idea of coming here in the first place. 

He came home with the intent to go to the kitchen. He was going to make himself a sandwich and then pile blankets on himself and sleep. The journey all the way to Shoal Cave and all the way back had been tiresome, and he was going to make sure that tonight would be a nice, relaxing evening.

Or it was, until he heard the sound of the T.V. blaring before him. He stepped further into the apartment and was surprised to find Maxie’s shoes on the floor. His bag was on the floor as well, its contents spilling all over. Even the stupid notebook he had been putting all his research into lay on the ground, open and facedown. He looked up and, sure enough, there was Maxie, sitting on the couch. He had brought the blankets from his bed and wrapped them around himself, forming a cocoon of sorts that covered his entire body up to his chin, and he was facing the television, watching it idly. Archie noticed his long hair had been chopped off, quite substantially, too. What used to a long ponytail that hung down past his shoulder blades had been cut short and went just below his ears.

It seemed like Maxie had gotten here in a rush. Was this usually how Maxie came home? He had never seen Maxie be this disorganized before. Then again, if Archie was working for as long as Maxie was, he’d sit on the couch doing nothing, too. Archie hesitated. He wanted to say something so badly; he hadn’t talked to Maxie in weeks. But Maxie still hadn’t noticed him arrive, or tried to acknowledge him in the slightest. If he was really exhausted, maybe he should just give him his space?

“I know you’re there, Archie.” Maxie’s voice was quiet, but despite that it still caught him off guard. Maxie still hadn’t bothered to move in the slightest.

“Hiya, Max…” Archie stammered. “Mind if I hang out?”

“I don’t care.” Maxie replied. Archie sat down beside Maxie on the couch awkwardly. He was still hungry, but he figured hanging out with Maxie was first priority. It was strange; despite his appearance, he didn’t sound sleepy, but he definitely seemed… off. 

“Hey, you feelin’ alright, Max?” He asked. Though it had taken Archie forever to get home, it really wasn’t that late. It was only around eight; that was early for him to be here, and even earlier for Maxie. 

“I’m not feeling well.” He said. “So I came home early.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry, man.” Archie said. “Want me to make ya somethin’? I think we have soup.”

“I vomited the last meal I had, so no.” Maxie said. 

“Oh, well…” Archie paused. Even though Maxie had allowed it, Archie wasn’t sure if Maxie really wanted him here. He still hadn’t bothered to look at him. “What happened to your hair?”

“Do you like it?” Maxie asked. He sounded bitter for some reason.

“Yeah. It looks… nice.” That was a lie. He still looked nice, but Archie really liked his long hair. He had always wanted to play with it, but how in the world could he do that without seeming infatuated? “Why’d ya cut it, though?”

“It was getting in the way of everything.”

“Oh. Well, glad it’s not botherin’ ya anymore.” Maxie only nodded. Archie was beginning to feel awkward. Usually, conversation with Maxie came so easily to him; but he hadn’t seen Maxie in awhile. What was he supposed to say to him? Was he supposed to ask about his job? How he was doing with Groudon? If Team Rocket was treating him just as badly as they treated the grunts? He wasn’t sure. 

“When I feel sick, it usually helps if I get a back rub.” Archie finally said. 

“Absolutely not.” Maxie immediately stated. 

“Oh, c’mon! I swear it’ll help-” He reached out and the moment his hand made contact with Maxie’s back, Maxie flinched away. 

“Don’t touch me!” Maxie snapped. Archie drew his hand back immediately, as if he had touched a hot stove. Archie felt awful. His first interaction with Maxie in weeks and he was somehow already blowing it. 

“Look, I can, uh, leave ya be, if ya want.” Archie said sheepishly. “I mean, ya probably need to rest, so…” Before he had the chance to get up, Maxie finally turned to face him. He reached forward and grabbed ahold of Archie’s wrist. 

“Don’t leave quite yet.” Maxie said. “We haven’t talked in such a long time… I want you to talk with me.” Archie couldn’t help but stare at Maxie. He really did look awful. He looked paler than usual, but that could just be from being sick. There were bags under his eyes, and they looked a little red. Had he been crying? Archie couldn’t blame him; he remembered weeping as a kid whenever he had thrown up. He seriously hoped Maxie’s distraught appearance was only from being sick, but something told him those bags under his eyes had come from many exhausting nights before today. 

“Well… what did ya want me to talk about?” Archie asked. 

“Anything.” Maxie replied. “I just need to hear you talk.” Archie blushed at the remark, but decided it was best not to read into it. He remembered having the flu as a kid, and making his mom stay up with him all night and hold his hand, talking with him about anything and everything until his stomach finally settled and he could rest. He gently slipped Maxie’s hand into his, and began to talk. 

He told him about how the admins had told him to go steal some pokemon, especially from children, whose pokemon tended to be lower level and were easy to train and influence. He couldn’t think of anything worse than stealing a pokemon from a child. But he’d play along with it, and every time he went to battle a kid, he would tell them before hand that he’d let them win. But they had to make it look convincing. He wasn’t sure how believable it was for a seven year old’s zigzagoon to take down his sharpedo, but he did it anyways. He remembered one day, he ran into a pair of young sisters, who couldn’t possibly be older than eight or nine. While he explained what he was going to do, the older sister looked horrified. Many of the people he had pretended to lose against had the same initial reaction. It was fair; most people didn’t react too positively to being approached by a member of what was essential a mob. The younger sister, however, didn’t seem fazed by it at all. Archie released his pokemon: a golbat and a sharpedo, and was ready to fake his way through a losing double battle with the two sisters. However, before he could even attempt to do anything, the younger sister quickly wreaked havoc on his two pokemon with her pelipper, laughing, all while her sister and her swellow looked on nervously. Archie was shocked, to say the least. He didn’t know pelipper could even be that strong! And it was the first time anyone he explained the situation to actually fought and defeated him. The two girls left, the younger one laughing while the older one scolded her for being so reckless again, and Archie couldn’t help but smile; those two scamps really had something going for them. He figured he’d like battle with them again someday. That night, when an admin had asked him why he hadn’t stolen any pokemon, he was telling the truth when he said he was defeated. 

He told Maxie about when he and a bunch of other grunts had explored the abandoned Sea Mauville in search for treasure that was supposedly located there. He had been paired up with Matt. They wandered through the ship aimlessly, and to pass time quicker, Archie brought up that he had heard rumors about the ship being haunted. Soon enough, he heard the sound of a pokemon being released. He looked at Matt and found that he had released his skitty and was holding it in his arms. When Archie asked what he was doing, Matt straight up admitted it: he was terrified, and holding skitty made him feel a little better. Archie had laughed at that at first, but when a spiritomb had caught the two of them off guard in one of the rooms on the ship, having a support skitty suddenly sounded like a great idea.

Halfway through Archie’s story about him and Matt pranking their admin by stealing one of his pokeballs and filling it with glitter, Maxie finally spoke up. 

“Archie.” Maxie said abruptly. Archie immediately went silent. Throughout his stories, Maxie had been silent for the most part. Here and there he’d crack a small smile or maybe even let out a chuckle, but otherwise he was quiet. “Tell me, honestly, do you like being here? With Team Rocket?”

“I…” Archie wasn’t sure how to respond. He hated it here. He hated it since the moment he got here, and even if there were a few good things like Matt and some of his other friends, he could still say without a doubt that he hated it. But this had been part of their dreams, right? With little contact with Maxie, he had no idea how he felt about Rocket. Was his experience just as bad as Archie’s, or was he blissfully unaware of how shitty of a place this could be? Well… Maxie had said to answer honestly… “I’ll be honest with ya, Max, I hate it here.” Archie finally said. “I wanted to find Kyogre, and do somethin’ good for the world, y’know? All I’ve done is make a fool of myself while disobeying the rules to piss the admins off. Hell, the only thing I’ve done relating to Kyogre is talk about it to some of the grunts that seemed interested. I don’t like it here.”

“Well, that makes two of us.” Maxie said with a sigh. 

“What? Seriously?” Archie asked. “What made you realize how much they suck?”

“A lot of things. And I’ve heard about what they’re making the grunts do; I’m not completely cut off from your side of the world, you know.”

“Well, did ya… wanna leave?” Archie asked. Maxie gave him a look.

“You can’t be serious.” He said with a glare.

“I am serious!” Archie said. “Think about it! This place isn’t doin’ anything for us and we both hate it here. Why not leave? Think of what we could do together!”

“And what might that be?”

“I dunno… Matt and a bunch of the grunts said I’d be better off makin’ my own team. We could make one together! You and me; we’re a pair of smart guys. We could figure somethin’ out.”

“You’re far too idealistic, Archie.” Maxie stated. “Besides, there’s still the matter of leaving.”

“What about it? We just, I dunno, go somewhere else.”

“You might be able to do that. In fact, I’m sure the admins wouldn’t miss you in the slightest. But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m one of their leading scientists! They’re not about to let me go.” Maxie scoffed. “Didn’t they tell you they’d hunt you down to the ends of the earth if you tried to leave?”

“Nah, they told us they’d kill us so we don’t say anything.” He laughed. “But I seriously doubt they’d care enough to do that.”

“My point still stands.”

“Well, there’s gotta be some way-“

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. But I’m not about to think about it on a night like tonight.” Maxie sighed. “For now, just let me relax.”

“…All right.” As much as he wanted to just up and leave right now, he knew dragging a half-dead Maxie along with him wouldn’t do any good. Especially since he didn’t want to get vomit on his shoes. Besides, if Maxie was actually offering to take care of himself for once, he’d gladly allow it. Archie relaxed and soon continued telling the story about the glitter and the pokeballs. By the time he had finished, Maxie had rested his head on his shoulder. Archie turned and noticed that he was asleep, and thank goodness for that. He was sure Maxie needed that more than his stories about glitter and being defeated by children. He placed Maxie’s hand back on the couch, and flipped the T.V. they had been ignoring off.

Then he hesitated. He was thankful Maxie was asleep, because he wasn’t able to see just how flushed Archie had become. When rambling on and on about his antics as a grunt, it was easy to forget that he was sitting next to Maxie, that he was holding Maxie’s hand in his and that he still had a huge, undeniable crush on Maxie. He groaned, running his hand through his thick hair in frustration. He had had this little crush on him for years, but he thought that being unable to spend time with Maxie would have helped. In the end, it had only made things worse. While they were separated, he had been curious about him and what he had been up to. But now that he had seen him, especially in this state, he felt worried. He wanted to do something. He wanted to go on walks with Maxie to the park or to the beach, giving him fresh air and just enough sun for those cute freckles to appear on his pale skin. He wanted to take him out on dates to fancy restaurants and cute cafes where Maxie could give in to his sweet tooth and eat, which would hopefully make his fingers less bony. He wanted to hold him close and sleep the days away until the bags under Maxie’s eyes vanished completely. He wanted to spend time with him away from work, he wanted to see him relax, he wanted to see him smile those rare times he did and he wanted to kiss him. Good arceus, he wanted to kiss him. 

He wasn’t sure how many times he had thought about it. He wasn’t sure how many times he had caught himself staring at Maxie’s lips while he was talking or working, and how many times he had to hold back the urge to kiss him, right then and there, to cup his face in his hands, to run his hands through his soft hair, to hold him close and feel those lips pressed against his. He got flustered at the thought of it, and aggravated at the realization that it was never going to happen.

He had been with Maxie for nearly his whole life, and while his crush on Maxie had never gone away, he still tried his hand at dating. He had dated a couple people throughout high school and college. Maxie, on the other hand, never dated anyone. And from what Archie could tell, he had never made any effort to try it, either. Maxie seemed far too invested in his work to date, and while Archie could respect that, it still left him disheartened. He had hoped that there would be time for romance once they left college but, as usual, things didn’t go the way he had wanted. He looked back to Maxie and gently brushed some loose strands of hair out of his face and after a long period of hesitation, he finally kissed him on the forehead. He pulled back immediately, his heart racing in his chest. He was sure that any second now, Maxie would wake up, confused or maybe even angry. Of course, nothing happened, and Maxie slept away peacefully. 

Archie thought about picking Maxie up and taking him to the bedroom to rest, but decided against it. His reaction to touching him earlier had been so extreme that he figured it was best not to do that. Archie gently looped an arm around Maxie and laid down. He decided to stay put and let Maxie sleep away on top of him. Despite the circumstances, he was glad he had gotten to see Maxie tonight. And though it was wrong of him to think this way, he was almost glad that Maxie was sick; it would mean he would actually see him tomorrow in the morning and hopefully again at night. Maybe they’d think of a way to get out of Rocket together. Archie smiled at the thought of it; him and Maxie, running their own team together, finding their own legendaries and hopefully, maybe…

Archie shook his head. He had to stop equating everything with a romance that would never happen. He just had to be content knowing he’d be with Maxie.

The next morning when he woke up, he was lying on the couch alone, and Maxie was gone again. 

* * *

From then on, Archie did see Maxie more often. At night, Maxie started coming home at a reasonable time instead of staying in the labs until some god-awful hour. However, he noticed that Maxie seemed… different. He seemed jumpy and more on edge than usual, and Archie never got an answer as to why. It was then that Maxie began layering his clothing. He threw out most of his normal shirts and replaced them all with a large amount of turtleneck sweaters. Archie asked him why, and all Maxie would say was that it was cold. Sure, it was a little chilly, but it’d be spring soon. It was strange.

He tried not to focus on Maxie’s strange behavior too much, instead putting his time towards finding a way out for both him and Maxie. He was sure it wouldn’t be long now. He had a large following of grunts like Matt who were willing to support and assist him if he wanted to go through with his idea of forming his own team. And he planned on doing so. He could do all the things that Rocket had promised, but failed to do. He’d find Kyogre on his own, instead of sitting behind his desk and forcing others to do so. He’d have people do what they wanted to do. If someone wanted to research and study legendaries, then so be it, and if someone wanted to be a grunt and help out with simple tasks, then so be it. He wouldn’t force anyone to do something they didn’t want to. He’d treat them like a family; because who would want to work hard when they were being treated like garbage? But above all else, he’d find a way to use Kyogre’s power to help the world, instead of whatever Rocket had had in mind for it. 

One morning, as Archie strolled through Rustboro on his way to Meteor Falls, he noticed something off. A thick cloud of black smoke was swirling in the sky just above the rocky formation. Right where, Archie realized, Rocket’s base was hidden. He broke into a sprint. It was still early in the day, so a lot of grunts like him hadn’t shown up yet; but there still must’ve been quite a few people inside. He knew several people lived there; some grunts, and probably the admins and their boss. Plus, a lot of people came into work much earlier than he did. People like… Maxie.

When he arrived, he noticed a substantial crowd had grown outside of the building, and several people with water type pokemon had them out, attempting to subdue the flames. It didn’t look like it was very effective. The building, which was already massive in size, was just about engulfed in flames. He looked around the crowd feverishly for Maxie but saw no sight of him anywhere. Archie could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest. Could he really still be inside? He couldn’t be, right?

That’s when he caught sight of someone familiar. A few yards away stood a short, chubby and visibly panicked teenager. Though Archie had never spoken with him before, he recognized him in an instant. After all, he had seen Maxie talking with him recently. Based on his lab coat, Archie assumed he was a scientist, or at the very least one of their assistants. While Maxie spoke very little about what he did on a daily basis, he had brought up this boy before. His name was Tabitha, and by the sounds of it, the two of them had become friends.

“Hey! Hey, uh-” Tabitha took no notice of him and was still staring at the building in horror. “Um, Tabitha-”

“What?!” Tabitha snapped. He looked Archie up and down, but that didn’t seem to help him in the slightest. “What do you want?”

“I’m a friend of Maxie’s- where is he? Have you seen him?”

“If I knew that I wouldn’t be standing here!!” Tabitha snapped. “I thought… I thought I saw him, but I… I don’t…”

“Right, right, okay.” Archie replied. Clearly, he wasn’t going to be getting anything out of him anytime soon. And how could he blame him? Part of his lab coat was singed; anyone would be panicked after being that close to a fire. Especially if it wasn’t over yet. “Stay here. I’ll- I’ll go find him.” Archie took off that stupid hat the grunts were supposed to wear, and tossed it behind him, sprinting towards the building. He heard Tabitha yell something behind him, but ignored it. He was sure he had scanned the crowd, and if Tabitha hadn’t seen him, then there was only one place he could be. Archie took a deep breath, then ran through the front door, ignoring the other Rocket members warning him to stay away.

The lobby was, thankfully, mostly deserted; it seemed most people left already. The flames weren’t terribly high, but they were definitely scorching the walls near the stairs. Maybe the fire had started on the second or third floor? Archie wasn’t sure, but he pressed onwards. The second floor was an absolute mess. Desks and chairs were toppled and set aflame, and Archie found it hard to see or breathe in here. He covered his mouth and continued onwards.

“Maxie?” Archie shouted, despite the horrible sting in his throat. He heard no response other than the crackling of the flames as they consumed the furniture and walls. He cursed under his breath and continued on. He had to be in here somewhere. The laboratory was on this floor, wasn’t it? He’d never been in there before, but he was sure of it. He had waited outside of it many times for Maxie, but oftentimes had been ordered to stop hanging around before he ever came out.

He reached the door and found it to be locked. As usual. There was a small locking mechanism on the side of the door that required a keycard. A keycard that Archie, unfortunately, did not have.

“Maxie?!” Archie shouted, pounding on the door. “Are you in there? Maxie!!” Still, nothing. But Archie couldn’t think of anywhere else he could be, and the smoke in the air was making him dizzy. It had to be here. He sent out his mightyena. “Mightyena, use take down on the door!” His mightyena obeyed, albeit nervously in this flaming building. The door came down after a few attacks, and Archie returned his pokemon, wanting to keep him out of the smoke as long as he could.

The laboratory looked different than what he had expected. He had expected some pristine white lab filled with bubbling tubes or something like that. Maybe that was indeed what it looked like, but in the thick flames and smoke, it was impossible to make out much. There were lots of machines in the room, many of which he didn’t recognize. Bookshelves, cabinets and lockers lined the walls as well, and there were a few tables here and there, but most everything was ablaze. The roof above them was beginning to give in, too, and Archie could see some of the flaming chunks from the ceiling on the ground. Many of which had piled up before the door. It was no wonder it had taken Mightyena so long to break it down.

And it was no wonder Maxie hadn’t left, either.

Towards the back of the room, furthest away from the flames, stood Maxie, clinging to his bag as if for dear life.

Figures, Archie thought, of course he’d come back for his research. For a genius Maxie could really be an idiot.

“Maxie!” Archie exclaimed, rushing towards him. Maxie didn’t seem to hear him. In fact, he didn’t seem to notice him come in at all. It was clear to see that he was in a state of panic and his eyes were squeezed shut. It was only when Archie put his hands on his shoulders that Maxie finally looked up. He looked messy and disgruntled to say the least. But he looked relatively unharmed, and capable of moving. “Maxie… are you okay? C’mon, we need to get out of here!”

“…Right.” Maxie replied, his voice shaky. “You’re right, let’s- let’s go.” He looked terrified, and Archie couldn’t blame him, though he found it a little surprising that he was this panicked. He thought Maxie loved fire, and always figured that if he was ever in one, he’d just walk away calmly, like all the cool protagonists did in movies.

Then again, fire type pokemon were certainly different from something like this. Archie grabbed ahold of Maxie’s hand, and pulled him into a sprint. They made it through the rest of the building safely, and returned to the crowd outside quickly. Even after they were quite a few yards away from the building, Maxie still held Archie’s hand tightly. If it were any other scenario, Archie would’ve been thrilled.

“Max, we’re okay now.” Archie said, gently patting Maxie on the shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

“Archie…” Maxie replied quietly. He still looked shaken up and stared at him with wide eyes. It was only now when they were finally safe that Archie got a good look at him. Maxie had somehow managed to get ash all over his clothes as well as caked on his gloved hands. Something also seemed to have cut him in the arm; Archie could see the tear in his lab coat and sweater and the blood staining both. However it didn’t look very big; Archie assumed it probably came from protecting himself from falling debris or something of that nature. He was thankful that Maxie looked unharmed otherwise.

“Look at ya. You’re an absolute mess!” Archie exclaimed jokingly. When Maxie didn’t respond, he licked his thumb and wiped some of the soot off of Maxie’s cheek. Maxie immediately recoiled, looking disgusted.

“Ugh, Archie!” Maxie snapped, pushing him away. “That’s disgusting!”

“I know, I know.” Archie said with a smile. Maxie was acting like himself again, so he was probably okay now. He was worried he was going to have a panic attack, if he wasn’t having one already.

“Mister Maxie!!” Tabitha exclaimed, running towards them. He looked as if he were about to cry from joy at the sight of Maxie alive. “What happened? I was so worried about you!! Why were you in there so long? Were you trapped, or-”

“Easy, Tabitha, relax.” Maxie interrupted, his voice back to its normal, calm state. “One question at a time, all right?”

“R-right.” Tabitha cleared his throat and straightened up. “What in the world were you doing in there, sir?”

“Yeah, Maxie! You could've died, y’know!” Archie snapped.

“You don’t think I’m aware of that? I wasn’t taking my sweet time to enjoy myself.” Maxie replied. He rummaged through his bag, and pulled out a key. “I was looking for this. It opens the storage unit just behind the building. If we hurry, we can release all the pokemon that are in there before the fire catches it.”

“I got it!” Matt took the key from Maxie’s hand, and held it just high enough above his head so that Maxie couldn’t get it.

“You- who are you? What the hell is your problem?” Maxie snapped.

“Relax, Max, this is my friend, Matt.” Archie said with a laugh. Maxie seemed to recognize the name, but still looked at him irritably. “He’s done this kinda thing before.”

“But…”

“I got it, don’t worry.” Matt replied with a smirk. “Besides, you guys should probably get outta here. It won’t be long before the cops come and realize this isn’t just some office building.”

“You’re right. Let’s go, Max.” Archie said.

“…All right.” Maxie still looked hesitant, but he finally left with Archie as Tabitha followed impatiently behind Matt, asking an array of questions about a stolen pokemon of his. Huh. Archie had always assumed that Rocket only stole pokemon from strangers, not from their own team! Maybe Matt was right in hiding his skitty from his superiors. Regardless, he didn’t dwell on it for long, instead focusing on the still rather shaken-up Maxie as the two walked home.

* * *

 

 _“New developments in the large fire that struck Rustboro earlier this week!”_ The energetic news reporter said, smiling at the camera despite the rather grim news she was delivering. Archie and Maxie were sitting on the couch together and, up until this point, had been talking idly. But now their attention was focused on the screen.

_“The fire, which struck what was secretly a Team Rocket base, was started on the fourth floor, somewhere between six and seven am, merely moments after the death of their leader Proton.”_

“Holy shit.” Archie gasped. Maxie said nothing but continued watching anxiously.

 _“Proton’s remains and the state of his office show signs of a struggle, but most of the evidence was burned up, leaving officials to believe that the fire and the murder go hand in hand. It is unknown of his murderer is a vigilante or a member of Rocket itself, but they are still at large, as are the names and identities of Team Rocket’s members. If you have any information, do not hesitate to call authorities. Thankfully, no other fatalities have been reported, and it’s safe to say that Rocket, until further notice, has been disbanded here in Hoenn.”_ The cheerful news reporter smiled as the images behind her transitioned. _“In other news, the results of today’s beauty contest are in! And glalie is our champion…”_

Archie shut the television off after that.

“What a mess.” Maxie muttered.

“I think it serves the bastard right, especially if he started all this shit.” Archie replied.

“Did you ever meet him?”

“Nah, but I did try breakin’ into his office one time.”

“Really? Why?”

“I heard rumors that he kept all the information on Groudon and Kyogre in there. Thought I could get it myself then leave this dump. Didn’t get far, though.”

There was a pause for a moment where Maxie pressed his weight against Archie, letting his head rest on his shoulder. Archie immediately felt nervous, but made no effort to move. Affection like this was rare from Maxie, and he wasn’t about to stop it.

Despite everything, the past couple of days had been unusually pleasant. Archie had been a mess of nerves, waiting for the authorities to break down the door and arrest him and Maxie for being part of Team Rocket… but it never happened. Perhaps all of the information on all of Rocket’s members had burnt up in the fire? Or maybe an admin had taken it upon themselves to destroy it. Somehow he doubted the latter.

For some reason, however, Maxie couldn’t be more at ease. The moment he had gotten home, he had gone to bed and slept like a rock. He hadn’t even bothered to change his ash-covered clothes or bandage up the scar on his arm. It seemed the fire had shaken him up, but as time went by, Archie would still find him sleeping away, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Archie couldn’t fault him for this, however. Based on how busy Maxie had been for the past couple of months, he couldn’t even begin to fathom how exhausted he must be. He deserved this rest.

“Ya gonna take a nap or somethin’?” Archie finally asked. “Because I’m sure the bed is comfier than I am.”

“No, not right now.” Maxie replied. “Archie, have you considered what you might do now?”

“Not really.” Archie replied. “I’ve been too worried about, y’know, goin’ to jail.”

“Relax, Archie. If they haven’t gotten us now, I doubt they’ll get us at all. It’s almost been a week.”

“I guess that’s true.” He paused, contemplating whether or not he should put his arm around Maxie. He did so carefully, and when Maxie didn’t pull away, he finally relaxed. “Have you thought of anything?”

“Yes, I believe so. I’ve been mulling it over and I think…” He glanced up at Archie and smiled. “I think starting a team with you might actually work.”

Archie wasn’t sure which amazed him more: Maxie’s words or his smile. He hadn’t seen Maxie smile in what felt like months. And what he said… this was almost too good to be true, wasn’t it?

“Ya mean it?” Archie asked, eagerly grabbing Maxie by the shoulders. “You’re serious?”

“Of course I am.” Maxie replied. “We’re both very capable people. I’m sure in no time we could learn far more about the world around us than we ever did here.”

“What do ya think we should call ourselves?” Archie asked eagerly.

“I like the name magma.”

“What? Who gave you that idea?”

“Tabitha did, actually.”

“What does he know?”

“More than you do. He was a scientist too, you know.”

“Hey, I was just as qualified to be in there as you were! They just didn’t give me the chance.”

“Well, you should really be thankful you weren’t in there.” Maxie sighed, idly scratching the back of his neck.

“Well I can still think of a better name than that.” Archie said. “How about aqua?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on!” Maxie just glared at him. “Fine. We’ll come up with somethin’ together. Wait, hold up a sec, I remembered Matt and I wrote down a couple ideas. Lemme see if I can find ‘em.”

“Doesn’t that ruin the point of coming up with something together?”

“Whatever, I’ll be back.” Archie got up and headed to their shared bedroom. On the desk by the door sat Maxie’s bag and Archie’s coat, both of which were covered in ash and hadn’t been touched in days. The last thing he had wanted to think about was Rocket, and it seemed the same was on Maxie’s mind as well. The little notepad he and Matt had been brainstorming in had to be in his coat pocket, right? He gave his coat a tug, pulling it off the table…

Sending Maxie’s bag off the table, scattering its contents across the floor. Archie cursed his own carelessness, and knelt down to pick it all up. He seriously hoped there wasn’t anything breakable in there. There were a ton of pens, that worn-out notebook Archie always saw him using, a half used pack of gum… there were also two folders, both of which with a red stamp on the front cover that just read _classified_. Archie knew it wasn’t his place to eavesdrop…. But he was curious. Besides, it’d be cool to have some insight on what Maxie had been doing these past couple of months. He flipped it open, and gasped at what he saw.

_Groudon: The Continent Pokemon. In ancient times, this pokemon was in conflict with Kyogre…_

Archie flipped through the papers in the file in disbelief, but was only met with more of the same: information on Groudon, its history, theories on where it could be resting… he had to admit, the information was rather scarce, but nonetheless what he was holding in his hands was all the information Rocket had on Groudon. The information he had just said himself was kept under lock and key in Proton’s office.

The Proton who had been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

“Archie?” He heard Maxie call from the hall. “Are you all right in there?”

Archie didn’t reply. This had to be a coincidence, right? Maybe Maxie had just stumbled across it on his way out?

He could hear Maxie approaching, and the words from the peppy news reporter repeated themselves in his mind.

_…somewhere between six and seven am…_

Maxie was always up and out of the house by five-thirty.

… _evidence was burned up…_

Maxie’s favorite pokemon was his camerupt, and he had an exceedingly powerful fire blast.

“Archie?” Maxie asked, curiously peaking into the room. “I thought I heard something fall. Is everything okay?”

_…signs of a struggle…_

Archie looked up at Maxie in horror, his eyes landing on the bandages wrapped around Maxie’s arm.

“Maxie.” Archie said nervously. His heart was racing, but despite his fear, he got to his feet and glared at Maxie. “Where the hell did you get this?” He wanted Maxie to say something, anything to prove that what was before him was just some big misunderstanding.

“That…” Maxie looked surprised when he noticed what was in Archie’s hands, but after a moment, his usual calm resolve returned. Archie calmed at that, too. Everything was fine, wasn’t it? It was all going to be a big misunderstanding, wasn’t it? “Where did I get that? You just said where, remember?”

Archie felt his blood run cold at that.

“What? N-no, Maxie, you…” Archie hated how weak he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. He was too scared to think straight, let alone come up with coherent statements. “You killed him… didn’t ya?”

“Oh, dear. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.” Maxie said, eerily calm despite the circumstances. “Then again, I did leave some damning evidence out. My mistake; I have been very tired.”

“You… you fucking murdered somebody, Maxie!” Archie shouted. “Do ya not see what’s wrong with that?!” 

“Of course I do. I’m not an idiot, Archie. I want to help people. I certainly do not condone murder, and I doubt I will ever want to do it again. But this man…” Maxie said, idly playing with the bandages on his forearm, “…he needed to die.”

“How can ya possibly say that?! Sure, he was doin’ some fucked up shit… but killin’ him? Was that really necessary?!”

“Didn’t you just say that that bastard had it coming?” Maxie replied.

“That’s not…” Archie stammered, now angrier than he was frightened. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“Well, regardless of what you think, he needed to die.” Maxie replied gently, “If you would just let me explain why-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Maxie! If there was that big of a problem, ya could’ve just told me and-”

“And what, Archie? What the hell would you have done?!” Maxie shouted. “If there’s anything I’ve learned in this godforsaken place, it’s that you can’t accomplish anything without hurting someone! Do you honestly believe you can get Kyogre yourself, without causing harm to anyone? Do you honestly believe that’s possible? If so, you need to grow up! To follow our dreams, this is the path we must follow! Get it through your thick skull!”  

Archie just stood there, watching as Maxie caught his breath. For what seemed like the first time in his life, Archie had no idea what to say. For a moment, he wasn’t even sure he was looking at the same person. Maxie… he was serious, but he was compassionate. He could be snarky and sarcastic, but he was never needlessly cruel. He always seemed to have the best for others in mind. But now, he stood before him, almost unrecognizable in Archie’s eyes.

“You can keep the Kyogre file if you’d like, Archie.” Maxie finally said, his voice returning to its normal, calm tone. “I was planning on giving it to you as a surprise, but it seems you beat me to it.” Maxie strolled forward and picked up the other folder on the ground, and held it out to Archie nonchalantly. “Here it is: all the information Rocket had on Kyogre. Can you believe it? All those months in this hell and this- this is all we get. I think I’ll-”

Archie ignored the folder and instead grabbed Maxie’s arm tightly, not caring if his grip was crushing it.

“Do you really think you can get away with this?” Archie asked. 

“Obviously.” Maxie replied. “What are you going to do, call the police on me? Are you really going to jeopardize your own dreams and freedoms?” Archie didn’t respond. “That’s what I thought. Now let go of me.”

“What exactly were ya plannin’ on doin’, Maxie?”

“I’m going to leave, of course. We both will. With the chaos this has caused, we can get out of here, undetected. I’m sure with that much panic the admins won’t even remember a nameless scientist like me. We can actually start a team of our own, like you said. One that knows what it’s doing and will try to help the world by controlling legendaries instead of just capturing them for money or power. You said you had friends that were interested in Kyogre, and not just for monetary reasons, correct? I am the same, but with Groudon. I’m sure, together, we could-“

“No, Maxie.” Archie said firmly. “I’m not gonna be a part of whatever you’re gonna do.”

“And why’s that? You were the one that suggested working together, right?”

“Yes, but that was before all of this! Do ya honestly think I’d work with a… a heartless criminal?”

“Heartless criminal?” Maxie actually looked offended at that. “Are you serious? Do you think I did this out of sheer cruelty? Archie, I did this for everyone! I did this for all the pokemon Rocket was mistreating, all of the team members who needed a way out… damn it, Archie, I did this for you!”

“Shut up, Maxie!” In any other circumstances, Archie would’ve been thrilled to hear those words, but this time… he wasn’t falling for it. “Don’t drag me into your mess like this! I don’t care what your excuse is; what ya did was horrible, and I’m not gonna team up with anyone like you!”

“…Fine! This doesn’t change anything! Starting a team without you won’t be a problem in the slightest!” Maxie tried to jerk his arm out of Archie’s grip. “And let go of me already!”

“No! I’m not lettin’ ya get away like this!” Archie pulled the struggling man closer, “I’m not gonna let ya hurt anymore people!”

“What I did was for the best! And if you would just listen-”

“Maxie-”

“Let go!!” Maxie dropped the file on Kyogre that was in his hand to the ground, and, with more strength than Archie knew he had, used that free hand to punch him in the face. Archie released him as he stumbled backward with a yelp. It didn’t take long for him to recover; it hadn’t even knocked him to the ground. But Archie could feel a dull pain in his nose.

“Archie…” Maxie’s intimidating persona was gone the moment he noticed the blood dripping from Archie’s nose. He looked horrified and nervously reached out to him. “I’m so sorry, I did not-”

Archie cut him off with a harsh blow to the stomach, which sent him to the ground in an instant. Archie had him pinned before he had the time to recover, and he clenched his hand into a fist, ready to strike him again. The man on the ground before him was a monster. He had killed someone, he had started a fire and hurt god knows how many people, he was reckless, he was dangerous, he was…

He was the sickly kid that had helped bandage Archie’s hand and lied about him to his mother, just so the two of them could be friends. He was the kid that had carried Archie to safety through Jagged Pass, too worried about his friend to care about the gashes on his own arm. He was the man who would sit with Archie for hours with a dorky smile on his face, talking about his big dreams, about how he’d make the world a better place where pokemon and people alike could live happily.

He was the man that Archie had fallen in love with.

Archie wasn’t sure when he had begun to tear up, but he unclenched his hand and let it rest at his side. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt him any further. He was still mad- livid, in fact. But he just couldn’t go any further. Somewhere, somehow, despite all that had happened… Maxie still had to be a little good, right? That sweet kid he had fallen for still had to be in there, right?

“Get off of me.” Maxie said firmly. He pushed Archie off of him, and backed away nervously. When Archie made no effort to attack him again, he relaxed a little. “If… if you would just let me explain…”

“Can it, Maxie.” Archie replied bitterly. “Nothin’ you could ever say would excuse it. You’re disgusting.”

Maxie looked heartbroken for a moment, but soon that sadness vanished, replaced by a cold, condescending glare.

“I’m disappointed in you. I thought you of all people would understand me… but I suppose I was wrong.” He strolled over to the papers scattered from the Groudon file and put everything back in order. “But nothing has changed. I will find Groudon, and I will use it to help the world; regardless of whether or not you are by my side.”

Maxie got up to leave, but glanced at back hesitantly. He looked… nervous, as if he was about to say something else. An apology, an explanation, something… but he just shook his head and left the room.

“Max.” Archie finally said. Maxie stopped, but he didn’t turn back to look at him. “I’m… I’m gonna stop you. Y’know that, right?”

“Goodbye, Archie.” Was all Maxie said.

And just like that, he walked out of Archie's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Maxie looks like he's probably killed at least one guy" - A conversation with friends like a year and a half ago that inspired this chapter.  
> Also I know I'm not the only one to use Team Rocket/Proton as an antagonist but I'm sorry, his name's Proton. He's going down. He's gotta.  
> BTW, I know this is inaccurate to the canon pokemon timeline™. I thought the pokemon timeline went in the order of the games and only found out otherwise like.... two days ago. I wrote this chapter a year ago. Oh well.


	6. Maxie, Age 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the /LACK/ of a major character death tag.

Maxie held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he listened to the sound of his team members talking in the room before him. This was routine. He organized a team meeting every morning at the same time consistently. But despite that, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Today’s was going to be different. It had to be, of course. After all, it was going to be the last one.

“Leader Maxie?” Tabitha asked. He was standing a few feet behind him with Courtney by his side. This, too, was routine. Each day they accompanied him, standing behind him as he spoke to the team. However, both of them seemed solemn today. Even the usually expressionless Courtney was visibly uneasy right now.

“It’s about time… we head out, sir.” Courtney said solemnly.

Maxie sighed and turned to face his two admins. They were so loyal, even until the end. Even after everything he had done. They… they deserved better. Everyone in his team did. That was partially why he was doing this, after all.

“Tabitha, Courtney… come here.” They obeyed, and he placed one hand on each of their shoulders. “I appreciate you two standing by my side through all of this. None of this would be the same without you two. But today, I wish to do this alone.”

“But leader Maxie-”

“Don’t argue with me, Tabitha. This is my last order as Leader of Team Magma. Understand?”

His admins nodded, albeit skeptically.

“Good.” Maxie said. “I want you two to stand in the crowd with all the grunts and scientists. That way you can disappear just as easily as everyone else. All right?”

“Yes, sir.” Tabitha replied.

“But what about you… leader Maxie?” Courtney asked.

“Don’t worry about me.” He insisted, smiling at his admins gently. He was about to say more when his watch went off, signifying that it was time to start his speech. “Right. It’s about time I-”

He was cut off when Tabitha hugged him abruptly. Maxie staggered back for a moment, completely caught off guard, and it didn’t help that soon enough Courtney joined in, too. He sighed and hugged the two of them back as best as he could.

“Oh, there, there.” He said quietly. “It’ll be all right. I promise.”

“We’ll miss you, leader Maxie.” Tabitha whispered.

“I’ll miss you, too.” Maxie pulled away from them and smiled once more. “You two have been the best admins anyone could wish for. I’m sure you’ll find great success in whatever you decide to pursue.”

Without another word, he turned and entered the large meeting room, just as he did every morning prior for nearly the past ten years. As soon as he stood before them, his team went silent and all eyes were upon him. He said nothing until he stood front and center, folding his hands behind him as he always did. It was strange to look upon his team like this. For once, they were not uniform. Maxie had insisted that they all get rid of their Team Magma uniforms, and so they had.

“Good morning.” He finally said. As usual, his team repeated it back to him. However, today it sounded like more people chimed in than usual. This was unsurprising, seeing how repeating the same thing daily could be grating. But today, he doubted anyone would ditch or show disinterest like they might at any other time. “Thank you for coming here today. As I am sure you all know, Team Magma has been… under fire recently. After the awakening of Groudon which was thankfully handled, I had hoped that we, as a team, could work together to fix our… _my_ … many mistakes. I was, unfortunately, naïve in this hope.”

Maxie paused for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to ignore his uneasiness. He felt terrible. Not only out of self-pity, but out of pity for his team. They had all vowed to work together, only for it all to be meaningless. He straightened his back and looked at his team once more. He couldn’t be weak, at least not right now. He wanted to leave them feeling confident; it was the least he could do.

“Over the years, Team Magma has committed many crimes. Some are easily forgivable. Some… are not. Regardless, it was foolish of me to believe that our crimes would simply go unnoticed, and that our promise of change would suffice in the eyes of the people we have wronged. Hoenn would be safer without our presence, and the government has demanded that Team Magma is to be disbanded. It is simply the logical decision. The team that is known for… eco-terrorism should not be allowed to continue, regardless of their promises of change. I have accepted this, as should all of you. But it is still with a heavy heart that I officially disband Team Magma.”

At that, he heard some of the grunts in the audience begin to whisper to one another. Maxie couldn’t help but notice how nervous quite a few of them looked. He was nervous as well, terrified, in fact. But he smiled at his team anyways, and continued.

“Please, do not lose hope. There is a bright future that extends beyond Team Magma, a bright future that belongs to all of you. You are all astounding people. If not for you, Team Magma would have never reached its goal. As much as it backfired, what we did was still astounding, and I, personally, would like to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to the team. With your skills, I’m sure none of you will have any trouble in finding success. And I don’t want any of you to worry. As of now, all of you have been given a blank slate to work with. There is no documented proof that any of you were ever in Team Magma. The team and your contributions to it will never hold you back. That is my guarantee as not just your leader, but hopefully… your friend.”

As he looked over the faces in the crowd, he finally caught sight of Courtney and Tabitha. They were standing near the back of the room, and Courtney was looking up at him in what he could only assume was admiration. Her arm was slung around Tabitha’s shoulders, and he seemed to be crying a little. While Tabitha was the most extreme scenario that he could see, several members of his team looked fairly upset. He was upset, too. But he would have all the time to cry when he was…

Maxie decided not to think about it. He cleared his throat and spoke again.

“While Team Magma will not be able to fulfill its promise of making the world a better place, I implore you to try and do so yourself. I have seen the amazing things that you are all capable of, and I have no doubt that you will all utilize your individual skills and intelligence in a way that will help Hoenn- no, the world- thrive. While Team Magma will likely not be remembered favorably, I will remember it as such. And I can only hope you will all do the same.”

He took a deep breath. He was running out of time.

“Once again, I’d like to thank you all for supporting me over the years. None of our achievements, as I would still like to call them, would have been possible without your help, your cunning and your belief. While our paths may never cross again, I still eagerly anticipate the future you are all bound to create. Thank you.”

As soon as he was done, he heard a sound quite foreign to him. He wasn’t sure who started it, but his team began to clap for him, soon turning into a loud, thundering applause. He gazed down at his team, and noticed several of them were smiling, some were even cheering.

“Long live Team Magma!” Someone in the crowd screamed. Soon enough, that became a chant, repeated endlessly on his team’s happy faces. Normally, Maxie wouldn’t stand for such unruliness. He wanted his team to be serious and sophisticated; being obnoxious would only stunt progress. But now, he supposed, it was more appropriate than ever. If he could leave his team on a high note, he would be happy. He nodded at his team one final time before walking out of the room and back into the narrow passageway.

He headed back towards his office, his thoughts racing. Hopefully, his team would leave now. This base would be abandoned, and likely demolished soon enough. That was good. Wouldn’t want the tools for starting an apocalypse just lying around, right? He was just thankful he had managed to burn all of his teammates documents weeks ago, before anyone from the police got to them. He wanted his team to slip into anonymity. It would be best for all of them.

“Hey.”

Maxie stopped at the familiar yet, to him, threatening voice. Leaning against the wall just a few feet before him was Archie. Despite their past hostile interactions, Archie looked rather calm. However, Maxie couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the sight of him.

“What do you want, Archie?” He asked. “How did you even get in here?”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve broken in.” Archie shrugged. “And no one’s really lookin’ out for Team Aqua anymore, are they? Shelly’s been in and out of here like thirty times since the Rayquaza incident.”

Normally Maxie would scold his team for their negligence, but he just didn’t have the heart for it today.

“Fine. Just tell me what you want and go.” Maxie said bitterly. “Are you here to mock me? Tell me how I failed? Show off just how right you were this whole time? You better be quick about it because I’m in a hurry.”

“Yeesh, Max, would it kill you to lighten up a bit?” Maxie couldn’t help but wince at that childhood nickname he hadn’t heard in so long. “I’m not here to put you down. I think… I think the world has done that enough, already.”

Archie looked surprisingly sympathetic. Clearly he had heard some of what went on with Team Magma these past couple of weeks. After their revival of Groudon, Team Magma had sworn to become a team focused on helping the world without the help of pokemon gods that could easily destroy it. That was all fine and well, but simply promising to be good after nearly destroying the world wasn’t good enough. Of course it was only a matter of time before Maxie was told to shut it all down. And of course there was no way he was going to get off scot-free after what he had done. Maxie understood all of that now. He had been foolish, naïve and most importantly, wrong. Archie had been telling him that for years now, usually in the form of insults and battling and threats. So why in the world was he being so calm and sympathetic right now? Shouldn’t he be rubbing it in? It had been nearly a decade since the last time the two of them had had a pleasant conversation, and it was making Maxie feel nervous.

“What do you want?” Maxie asked again.

“I want to make amends.” Archie said.

“Are you joking?” Maxie asked, eyeing him skeptically. “Why in the world would you possibly want to make amends with me?”

“Because I feel bad.” Archie replied, stepping closer. Maxie backed up nervously in response. Archie looked genuine enough, but he didn’t trust this. What if this was just a trick to get his guard down then attack him?

Archie seemed to notice his unease and backed off.

“I mean it," he continued, "I hate how things ended between us. I dunno if I forgive you but we… we’ve both made mistakes, Max. But all of that’s over now, isn’t it? This is the perfect opportunity to start over. To move on. A blank slate, just like ya said in your little speech.”

“That’s… different.” Maxie replied. “It’s different for them. They’re young and all of their mistakes were due to my negligence. They have the chance to start over. Pretending I do is simply foolish.”

“Oh don’t be so negative-”

“I’m not being negative, I’m being realistic. You’re aware of what’s going to happen to me, right?” Maxie asked. “I’m going to be arrested. I’m probably going to go to jail. Maybe for a few years, maybe forever. I’m not sure. Do you know what the average sentence for someone who almost destroyed the world is?” His patience was beginning to grow thin, and he found his tone becoming more and more irritated. He was sure Archie didn’t mind; after all, he couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had spoken without one of them shouting at the other. “The only reason I’m not incarcerated right now is so I can officially disband Team Magma and clear the records of all my team members. Thankfully the Hoenn government was willing to put all the blame on me so those kids could start over. So no, Archie, that sugar-coated new start I mentioned to my team doesn’t apply to me. It never will. So do me a favor and forget about me like the rest of them!”

With that, Maxie pushed past him and continued down the hallway. Archie was an idiot for coming here to try and talk to him. Things should’ve just stayed bitter between the two of them; it would’ve been better for everyone involved that way.

“Wait!” Maxie was torn from his thoughts when Archie firmly grabbed his arm, keeping him back. Maxie immediately felt his heart begin to pound. Yes, he remembered this sensation, being trapped, being held back with brute force. He needed to go; he needed to leave, before a fight broke out, before he got hurt again… or worse, before he hurt anyone else. Archie seemed to notice this panic and loosened his grip on Maxie’s arm, but he didn’t let go. “I’m not done with ya yet.”

“What more could you possibly want from me?” Maxie asked. The initial panic had faded, replaced with an overwhelming sense of dread he had been holding back for his team’s sake. “There’s nothing left, you know. My team is gone. I’m going to be locked away. My pokemon… they’ve been confiscated. I’m never… I’m never going to see them again. It’s over.” He looked up at Archie and clenched his hand into a fist. “So I’ll ask you one final time: what do you want from me?”

“I…” Archie looked heartbroken for some reason. His distressed expression only caused Maxie to glare more. Why was Archie acting like this? He of all people should be happy that his enemy had fallen so low. He shouldn’t be feeling anything for him other than disdain. So why did he still look so damn sympathetic? “I just wanted to make up. I thought maybe we could, I dunno, at least _try_ to be friends again after this whole mess.” He finally let go of Maxie’s arm and chuckled. “Guess that’s just how things go with us, huh? Nothin’ ever goes as planned.”

Now that Maxie was free, every instinct in his body was telling him to run. Run before Archie turned on him. Run before Archie attacked him. Run before something terrible happened. But despite that, he willed himself to stay. Just a little bit longer.

“I guess… it was dumb to think that way, huh? Dumb to assume we could just hang out again like ol’ pals. I know we don’t have a lotta time, but at the very least…” He held his hand out to Maxie. “Friends again?”

Maxie couldn’t believe the sight before him. Archie really was serious about this, wasn’t he? He had had a million and a half opportunities during this conversation to attack him if he so wished, but he didn’t. It was almost funny. Maxie had spent all these years trying his hardest to hate Archie. To forget every good memory they had had together and replace it with bitterness, caution, fear and anger. But the truth was, he missed him. And despite how much his angry mind had tried to warp Archie into some unfavorable monster, the truth of who he really was still remained. Though they had been feuding for years, the Archie that stood before him was the same kid that had been too scared to speak to him, thinking he was a ghost. He was the kind-hearted kid that had shrugged off the permanent scar on his face, instead choosing to forgive Maxie and wish him a happy birthday. He was the only person he’d ever meet who could convince him to go for a swim and ruin a priceless suit- all while somehow making him feel better. Maxie tried so hard to hate him, and while he was still certainly wary of him due to their… less than favorable interactions in recent years, he couldn’t help but admit that Archie was still the sweet, loving soul he had always been.

Which was why Maxie could not take his hand.

Maxie straightened, deliberately folding his hands behind his back. As desperately as he wanted to take that hand and put all of this behind him, he couldn’t. He was simply too tainted. Archie had tons of friends. Friends who were good people, filled with good intentions, friends who didn’t lead a legacy of screwing up again and again. Archie deserved to be with people like that. He didn’t need someone like him. He didn’t need someone prone to destruction and hurt and ruining nearly everything he touched. The sooner Archie realized he wasn’t worth saving, the better.

“I appreciate the sentiment.” Maxie finally said. “Really, I do. But just do yourself a favor and forget about me, will you? Forget about all of this and just… move on. ”

“But Max-”

“Please, Archie. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Archie still looked hesitant- desperate, even. But he reluctantly drew his hand back. Maxie began to walk away once more, and this time Archie made no effort to follow him. Once he reached the end of the hallway, he turned to Archie one last time.

“Thank you for coming, Archie.” He said. “At the very least, my arch enemy deserves a final goodbye.”

“I’d prefer the term ‘rival’.” Archie replied. “That way we’re still friends at the end of the day.”

“If you insist.” Maxie said before leaving once again.

That night, the police were waiting at his home to arrest him. But Maxie never came home. Immediately, the police searched everywhere they could think: the now abandoned Magma Base, his mother’s home in Slateport, even his old childhood home in Lavaridge. But no trace of him was ever found. After a week with no results, he was officially filed as missing, and should anyone know of his whereabouts, they were to contact police immediately.

Two days later, he was found dead, burned alive in the woods surrounding Mt. Chimney. Foul play was suspected, deemed the work of an old enemy or perhaps a vigilante. But the case was closed without little investigation. After all, who cared? The best Maxie Matsubusa could do for Hoenn at this point was become nothing but ashes in the back of people’s minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen............ there's no way Maxie would basically create an eco-terrorist group, steal a bunch of stuff and unleash a LITERAL GOD to wreak havoc across Hoenn and be able to get off scot-free with nothing more than a slap on the wrist like c'mon. There's no way he /wouldn't/ get in trouble for that even if he did feel remorse about it.  
> Again, please note the lack of a major character death tag.


	7. Archie, Age 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the reconciliation finally begins.

Archie stared at his reflection on the opposing wall on the cave. Upon entering the Reflecting Cave, he had immediately been dazzled by the shiny surfaces resembling mirror more so than rock. But as he traveled deeper in the cave, he found himself gazing less at the surface itself and more at his own image reflected upon it. It was human nature to do so, he supposed, but it had been quite some time since he had gotten a good look at himself. He’d need to trim his beard soon. And his hair looked like a mess without the usual bandanna in it. He didn’t wear his Team Aqua bandanna anymore, but he should probably invest in a new one; he liked the way it looked. The X-shaped scar on his face was still as obvious as ever, but he had accepted that long ago. With dismay he noticed that his hair was beginning to grey a little and it was at that thought he decided to press deeper into the cave. Age was inevitable, but the constant progression of time never came as anything less than a shock to him. Shelly kept reminding him that he’d be forty before the year was out, and every time she said that he threatened to battle her. He supposed he should still be thankful that he still felt young, but the reminder that he wasn’t definitely was not something he needed to hear.

The further he got into the cave, the colder it became. He probably should have anticipated this seeing how it was just the beginning of Janurary, but he was so used to the heat in Hoenn that the chilliness of Kalos had caught him off guard. On the bright side, at least it never got as cold here as it did in Sinnoh.

It had been a little over four years since the incident in Hoenn with Groudon, and Archie tried to think about it as little as he could. About a month after Team Magma’s disbandment, Archie decided to disband Team Aqua as well. After all, he just saw no point in it anymore. The team had been established for three reasons: to help the oceans and water type pokemon (which could be done without being in a team), to find Kyogre and expand the oceans (which sounded like a terrible idea considering how badly reviving Groudon had gone), and to stop and annoy Team Magma at any given chance (though if asked, Archie would deny that this was a team goal). Regardless, with Team Magma disbanded and infamous in their deeds, Archie realized that Team Aqua would do more bad than good should they continue to exist. Besides, even if they made their intentions entirely good, who in their right mind would trust another team after what Team Magma had done? He was sad to let his team go, but most everyone seemed to understand his reasoning, and a lot of them remained friends and continued to stay in contact.

Archie moved back to Slateport and soon got a job as a sailor. Sure, sailing from region to region usually to deliver machinery and other heavy equipment for Devon was not the glamorous future he had had in mind as a child, but it wasn’t all bad. He got to travel a lot, and much of that time was spent on the beautiful, open sea. Along with that he got to do quite a bit of research in the ocean for Devon as well, studying ocean-dwelling pokemon and their habitats. It wasn’t the adventure-filled life he had expected as a kid but it was fun nonetheless.

Plus it meant he got to visit several other regions. He hadn’t traveled out of Hoenn that much- he had visited some relatives in Alola once when he was younger, and one time he had gone on vacation to Johto, but that was about it. Now he got to visit several of the regions of the world all the time, and he loved it. Nothing quite compared to Hoenn in his eyes, but getting to see places he had only read about or seen in pictures was fantastic.

Usually he only visited other regions for a day or two, just enough time to deliver what he needed to. However, he had wound up staying in Kalos for about a week. During the trip from Hoenn, the ship had unfortunately ran into a hoard of dragalge which had eaten through the hull of the ship. Fortunately no one- pokemon or human- had been hurt, but it meant they’d be stuck in Kalos for an extended period of time as the ship was repaired. Archie took it as an opportunity to experience Kalos. Though he had been to Kalos many times over the past couple of years, it was one of the few places he hadn’t really had the chance to explore. Most of the time he had been stuck in Coumarine City where the docks were. He still hadn’t even seen Lumiose City yet! He took it upon himself to see some of the sights during this extended time.

Currently, he was heading towards Geosenge Town, to see the remains of Team Flare’s damage. When he heard about what had almost happened in Kalos he had bee horrified, of course. All life on the planet had almost been wiped out in a single day! He was thankful that the team had been stopped but it was disturbing nonetheless that something like this had almost happened and he, along with millions of other people in the world, wouldn’t have been any the wiser. Despite the horror, Geosenge Town had become something of a tourist attraction itself, and Archie couldn’t help but be drawn to it as well. It seemed as the years had gone by, more and more near-catastrophic events had occurred in nearby regions. A few years back, Team Galatic had almost destroyed the world using the power of Dialga and Palkia. And in Unova just a year later, the world had almost been destroyed by Team Plasma, using the power of Reshiram. And finally… there was Team Flare, with Yvetal. It was distressing to say the least, but Archie couldn’t help but wonder what Maxie would’ve thought of all these events. At least Maxie’s intentions had been… sort of good. He had never planned on destroying anything, while a lot of these teams had. Maybe he’d be happy knowing that Team Magma’s sins were easily forgotten after the destruction caused by some of these other teams. Or maybe he’d just be discouraged, insisting that he was still just as bad for trying. Somehow, Archie knew the latter was most likely.

Maxie… Archie sighed as the thought of him crossed his mind. Thinking of Maxie never failed to dampen his mood. When he had heard the news four years ago that Maxie had been found dead he didn’t believe it. He couldn’t, after all. Despite being apart from him for nearly a decade, Archie couldn’t really imagine life completely without him. While they were not on good terms, he still had the hope that somehow they could meet up once again and make things work, even if it might take some time to get over the past. But so quickly after his attempt to make amends Maxie was just… dead? No, that was impossible. It had to be.

Besides, the details of his death sounded… suspicious. After Maxie’s death, Archie and Team Aqua were some of the first suspects. While Team Aqua hadn’t really done anything illegal, everyone knew of their intense rivalry with Team Magma. Of course, no evidence had ever been found of Team Aqua being involved in the slightest, but the lack of any evidence made his skin crawl as well. Did Maxie have other enemies that Archie didn’t know of, enemies that were so ruthless that they’d turn to murder? Or was it something else entirely? That day Maxie disbanded his own team… Archie had never seen Maxie so resigned before. He was always so determined, so stubborn, so passionate… for him to be so accepting of defeat, so ready to give up… it was scary. Archie couldn’t help but wonder if Maxie had perhaps… Archie shook his head, trying to ignore those thoughts. Maxie was gone and dwelling on him wouldn’t help anything. He was visiting Kalos; he should be having a great time!

Thankfully, the world soon pulled him out of his thoughts as the ground beneath him began to shake violently. He stumbled before putting his hands on the wall, trying to balance himself. It was an earthquake! Archie shut his eyes, cursing his luck. Of course, all the places to be during an earthquake and it was the middle of a cave! He should’ve just visited Lumiose or something!

He didn’t have too much time to dwell on his bad luck however, because soon he felt the floor beneath him begin to crack, then to collapse. And soon, he felt himself falling.

Soon enough the shaking stopped. Thankfully, it wasn’t a very long earthquake. But it had hurt nonetheless. Archie sat up with a groan, and took a look at his surroundings. He was still in the reflecting cave, but the room he was in looked different than it had before. It was far darker and based on the stagnant smell in the air this area of the cavern had been untouched by tourists and travelers for a long time. He looked up, and noticed a hole in the ceiling as well as rubble piled around him; there must’ve been a cave in, and he had unfortunately fallen in. That considered, he wasn’t too worried; he had his pokemon with him, and he wasn’t in a huge hurry to be anywhere. He was sure he would get out of here soon enough.

He got to his feet and was about to pull his Mightyena out when he heard a sound behind him. Lying on the ground a few yards away was another person face down on the ground. Archie hadn’t even realized there had been someone else in the room with him! Archie immediately rushed over to the man and knelt down beside him.

“Hey…” Archie said, shaking the man gently. Thankfully the man was not unconscious and slowly sat up. Based on the fancy coat he was wearing and his rather light backpack, Archie could assume that whoever this person was, he was a Kalos native, probably just going on a hike or maybe even a daily commute. Archie couldn’t help but feel nervous; his Kalosian wasn’t very good. Hopefully he’d be able to help the man out of here without much communication. He extended his hand out towards the man. “Um… c-comment ça va?”

“Ça va.” The man replied groggily, taking his hand. “Merci…” The man paused the moment he got to his feet, staring at Archie with wide eyes. Archie, confused, stared right back. Suddenly, he felt a bit self-conscious. Was it that obvious that he was a foreigner? He knew what he said was correct Kalosian, right? Was his accent that bad? Or maybe it was the scar on his face. Even in Hoenn, people often gave him second glances, staring fearfully at his face, and it was the only time he ever really remembered that it was there. Even Maxie tended to gaze on it when they were growing up. Archie had told him to let it go, but it was still clear just how guilty Maxie felt about it.

Wait.

The way this man was looking at him… it was familiar. And as he got a closer look at him, Archie realized he himself was oddly familiar. Despite the different hair color and the lack of glasses, his face was unmistakable. Archie knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t help but ask:

“Maxie?”

Archie’s question seemed to snap the man out of his stupor, and without a second to spare he turned around and began to run.

Yes. That had definitely been Maxie.

“Hey, wait up!” Archie immediately followed after him as fast as he could. Archie couldn’t believe what was happening. That had been Maxie. He was really here right now! Archie felt like an idiot for thinking he had been having bad luck before. This cave in was possibly one of the best things that had ever happened to him! If it hadn’t happened, he might’ve never even noticed Maxie!

It didn’t take long for him to catch up with him. This area of the cave they had fallen into wasn’t very large, and at the end of the passageway was a dead end. Maxie was backed up against it, panting heavily. It seemed Maxie quickly grew tired from running, just like he always did.

“Stop!” Maxie shouted, pulling a pokeball off of his belt. He held it out threateningly, glaring daggers towards Archie. “Stop… don’t come any closer…”

“Will you calm down?” Archie asked, raising his hands anyways. “I’m not gonna do anything. I swear.”

Archie could see Maxie clearly hesitating, but his resolve remained firm.

“How did you find me?” He asked. “Why are you following me?”

“I wasn’t followin’ ya.” Archie replied. “Hell, if you didn’t stare at me like that, I wouldn’t have known it was you!”

That was the truth. Maxie looked entirely different than he had all those years ago. His hair was nearly the length it had been in college, and it had been dyed from bright red to auburn. His glasses were gone too; Archie could only assume he was wearing contacts.

“I was just... surprised to see you.” Maxie explained. He still looked at Archie cautiously, and kept his hand raised. “Well… what now? Are you going to fight me?”

“Yikes, Maxie. No.” Archie said. “I dunno if you noticed, but we just went through a cave in. I’m gonna search for a way out. Can you calm down for one second and just… work with me here? Please?”

Maxie still looked entirely uneasy, but eventually he just sighed and clipped the pokeball back to his belt.

“Fine.” He finally replied. “I guess finding a way out is what’s important right now.”

“Thanks. Now let’s head back.”

The two of them walked side by side back to the clearing they had fallen into. Maxie eyed Archie suspiciously the whole time, never letting him walk behind him. Archie just rolled his eyes. Just like Maxie to be paranoid when they were supposed to be working together. When they reached the clearing, Maxie finally let his guard down and headed towards the opposing wall, investigating it thoroughly. Archie let him do his thing; after all, Maxie was much more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than he was.

“Do ya have an escape rope or somethin’?” Archie asked.

“Unfortunately, no.” Maxie replied curtly. He placed his hand against the rock wall gently, clearly investigating something. Finally he nodded, and pulled a pokeball off of his belt. “Go, pyroar!”

Once his pyroar was released, she looked at her owner happily, before strolling over to Archie, giving him a cautious look. Archie couldn’t help but marvel at her. This was the first time he had seen a pyroar up close. He wanted to reach out and pet her mane, but he decided against it. Back in the old days, Maxie had basically trained his old pokemon to hate him. He wondered if that was the case now or not.

“Now, now,” Maxie said, petting his pyroar gently. “He’s not an enemy… for now.” The pyroar relaxed at his words and nuzzled up against his legs. “There’s a good girl… Archie, do you have your mightyena with you?”

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“I’ve been to reflecting cave many times. If I’m correct, we should be able to dig our way back to the main cavern through here.” He tapped the wall behind him. “I can do this myself, but it’d go by much quicker with your mightyena as well.”

“Sure thing. Mightyena, come on out!” He released his mightyena, who immediately growled at the opposing pyroar. “Shh, it’s okay. She’s not here to battle ya.”

“Yet.” Maxie added.

“Yet.” Archie repeated, rolling his eyes. “We’re gonna need ya to dig through that wall over there. Think you can do that for me?” He asked, petting his mightyena. He seemed to understand and immediately began clawing at the wall, tearing it down easily with his powerful paws. Soon, Maxie’s pyroar joined in, quickly making rubble out of the wall. Of course Archie and Maxie didn’t even compare to the two pokemon, but they helped where they could, digging away at the debris.

“I can’t believe ya faked your own death.” Archie said abruptly. Maxie paused in his work for a moment, but soon continued.

“Is that really how you plan on starting a conversation with me?” He asked.

“Well… yeah. We all thought you had died! Why the hell wouldn’t I bring it up?”

“Who’s we?”

“Me. Courtney. Your mom. A lotta people in fact. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tabitha cry that hard.”

“If all you’re going to do is guilt trip me, then I’m not going to talk to you. I know what I did. It was the best for everyone.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I assume Tabitha and Courtney are leading rich, fulfilling lives now, right?”

Archie didn’t reply. He hadn’t seen either of them in awhile, but last he had heard they were doing okay. Tabitha had gotten a job a Devon as well. In fact, a lot of scientists from both teams had wound up there. He and Shelly worked together a lot, so he could only assume he was doing all right. As for Courtney… he hadn’t heard from her in ages. But at some point or another she had started dating Shelly. He didn’t know exactly what she was up to occupation wise, but based on Shelly’s stories she seemed pretty happy.

“That’s what I thought. See? Everyone wins. I don’t have to be incarcerated, and they can move on, thinking I’m dead. There’s no downside to it.”

“We all really miss ya, y’know.”

“That feeling would fade soon enough, too.” Maxie said. It seemed Maxie’s pessimism hadn’t changed over the years either.

“How did ya manage to fake your death anyways?” Archie asked. “I mean damn, Maxie, a fire? Way to go out in a blaze of glory.”

“Archie…” Maxie groaned. “You really haven’t changed, have you?”

“Neither have you. Now c’mon, tell me! I’m really curious.“

“Why, so you can turn me in later?”

“What’s the point of turnin’ in a dead man?” Maxie still didn’t look convinced. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

“Fine. It isn’t that interesting of a story, though. A friend of mine in Kalos heard about my… predicament and decided to help. He helped me fake my death, then got me a new identity and job here in Kalos. That’s about it.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold up.” Archie argued. “What kinda friend can just fake a death for ya?”

“The same kind of friend who happens to be named Lysandre.”

“Wait, what?” Archie asked, stopping in his work. “Are you serious?”

“I thought you knew that we were friends.” Maxie replied. “I told you about him a bit in college.”

Archie vaguely remembered that. While Archie was more of a socialite, Maxie did have quite a few friends… but several of them lived abroad. Maxie did take a course in Kalosian in college, and Archie remembered him talking about a pen pal program in the class. Of all the people in the world to wind up writing…

“Maxie, you weren’t in Team Flare were you?”

Now it was Maxie’s turn to stop for a moment. He didn’t say anything, instead just glaring at Archie.

“Holy shit, you were in Team Flare.”

“Oh, shut up. It was the least I could do considering all he did for me. Besides, the moment I found out what his true intentions were, I quit.”

“You just… quit? Didn’t he try to come after ya and kill ya or somethin’?”

“Don’t be silly. Team Flare was filled with idiots but they weren’t as… violent as Team Rocket.” Maxie replied, scratching the back of his neck idly. “They pretended to be classy. Aristocratic, even. The only threat I got was that if I tried to tell anyone or sabotage their plans, they’d kill me. Not that I even tried. I was too wary to attempt to destroy them, and who in the world would believe me should I tell the truth?”

“I would’ve believed you.” Archie said. He wasn’t sure why he had responded so quickly, and felt a little embarrassed.

“Right.” Maxie said skeptically. Luckily, he didn’t seem to care much about his comment.

“W-well…” Archie chuckled nervously. “Man, what is it with ya red heads and destroying the world?”

“If I told Pyroar to maul you right now she wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Wow… tough crowd.” Archie replied.

They continued through the tunnel in silence for a while. Their pokemon were strong, but this would still likely take a bit of time. Soon enough, they stopped for a break, letting their pokemon rest for a moment. Maxie gave his pyroar a pokepuff as a treat, leaving Archie to wish that he had brought some, too. His Mightyena deserved something, but he didn’t really have anything to give.

“Archie.” Maxie said, holding the pastry box out to him. “You can take one for your mightyena, if you want.”

“For real?” Archie asked. “But-”

“Just take the box before I change my mind, will you?”

Archie took the box and Maxie quickly returned his attention back to his pyroar, petting her gently. Archie opened the box and found a ton of pokepuffs inside, most of which were intricately decorated. He obviously spared no expense in getting them. Archie couldn’t help but smile at it; even after all these years, Maxie was still kind-hearted, wasn’t he? Archie took a pink one out and gave it to his mightyena, who was more than happy to eat it.

“Thanks, Max.” Archie said, returning the box to him.

“…You’re welcome.” Maxie took the box from him and put it away in his bag. “After all these years… you’re still calling me that nickname?”

“Yeah, is that a problem or somethin’?”

“No, it’s not. I just haven’t heard it in a really long time. You’re really the only to have called me that, you know. Everyone in Magma just referred to me as leader. And of course my name is different here, so…”

“Wait,” Archie said with a smirk, “are ya tellin’ me ya missed it?”

“It’s about time we get back to work.” Maxie said abruptly, getting to his feet. “Pyroar, use dig on the wall! We’re almost there; I just know it!”

“Mightyena, join her!” Archie exclaimed. “Maybe her owner will admit his feelings if we get outta here.” He said, nudging Maxie with his elbow. Maxie just shoved him and followed his pyroar.

“So _Max_ ,” Archie said after a brief lull in the conversation, “what are you up to nowadays, anyways? Still leading a notorious life of crime?”

“You’re never going to let that go, will you?” Maxie replied. “No, everything I’ve been doing since I left Flare has been a perfectly legal, thanks.”

“Well what have you been doin’?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“If I talk about myself first, then will you tell me?”

“Possibly.”

“Fine. I work for Devon now. A lotta us do, in fact! Shelly’s there, and so is Tabi and-”

“Tabi?” Maxie repeated. “You call him Tabi?”

“Yeah. That’s what Shelly calls him.”

“I thought he only let friends call him that.”

“I call him that ‘cause it annoys him. But I think he considers Shelly a friend now at least. Anyways, I do a lotta delivery stuff for Devon. Well, some marine work as well, but the point is that I get to sail a lot.”

“So you’ve become a sailor. What a shocker.”

“Oh don’t sound so disgusted. I’ve seen it all, Max! I’ve been to Kanto and Johto, Alola, Sinnoh… it’s been great!”

“Sounds like you’re really living the dream, aren’t you?” Maxie asked.

“Well… kinda.” Archie shrugged. “It gets a little lonely sometimes, I guess. I love the sea but sometimes bein’ alone on it for a while can be kinda grating. I miss bein’ with my friends. …I miss bein’ with you, too.”

Maxie looked like he was going to say something, but stopped when his Pyroar and Archie’s Mightyena tore down the final bit of rock wall, opening up a path back to the main cave. While the room they were now in was empty, they could see footprints and pokemon tracks; a sure sign that people had been here recently.

“Thank goodness.” Maxie said, returning his pyroar to her pokeball. “I thought it was going to take much longer than that.”

“You’d be surprised how quickly things go by with teamwork.” Archie replied, returning his mightyena as well.

“Well,” Maxie said curtly, shooting him a look, “it was nice seeing you, Archie. But I have to go now. See you around.” Maxie began to stroll away, but before he got too far, Archie grabbed ahold of his arm.

“Max,” he said, “did ya really think I wouldn’t notice ya limpin’ this whole time?” Maxie didn’t say anything and just glared. From the moment he had run off earlier, Archie had noticed it. Maxie had been walking strangely, not putting much weight on his right foot, wincing occasionally as he moved through their makeshift tunnel… He must’ve twisted his ankle pretty badly during the cave in. “Y’know you can ask for help, right?”

“I don’t need your help.” Maxie replied, pulling his arm out of Archie’s grip. He took a couple steps forward, placing a substantial amount of weight on his right foot, as if to prove a point. This immediately backfired and he hissed in pain before quickly leaning against the wall beside him.

“C’mon,” Archie said with a laugh, putting Maxie’s arm around his shoulders, “I’ll help ya out. Where do you live?”

“Archie…” Maxie said, looking irritated. He finally gave in and leaned against him. “I have an apartment in Lumiose.”

“Whoa, classy. But… that’s a bit far from here. Ya mind comin’ to my hotel room for a bit in Coumarine? It’s much closer. I promise I won’t do anythin’ to turn ya in or any of that jazz…”

Maxie just sighed.

“I don’t see why not.”

* * *

 

With Maxie’s injured ankle, it took them a bit of time to get to Coumarine, and they didn’t arrive until a little after nightfall. Once they got to Archie’s hotel room, Maxie immediately collapsed onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Archie went in the hall and grabbed some ice, putting it in a bag.

“All right, can ya show me where it hurts?” Archie asked, sitting beside him. Maxie pulled off his boot and rolled up his pant leg, revealing his swollen, already bruising ankle. “Yikes.”

“I’ve had worse.” Maxie replied. Despite that assertion, he still visibly cringed when Archie applied the ice to it.

“Why didn’t ya tell me anythin’ was wrong?” Archie asked.

“Why should I bother you with it? It’s just a twisted ankle.”

“You’re just the same as you’ve always been.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ya never tell anyone when somethin’s botherin’ ya. It wouldn’t kill you to ask for help, y’know.”

“Whatever.”

Once the swelling went down a little, Archie applied some bandages to his foot, fixing it up nicely.

“Isn’t this a little excessive for a sprained ankle?”

“Nah. It really helps, actually. This is what my mom did whenever I messed up mine.” He chuckled. “Remember that time we tried ridin’ up the cyclin’ road together, but I didn’t have a bike so I had to tag along with you?”

“That was terrible. We barely made it up to the top before you fell off!” Maxie laughed, too. “You should’ve told me beforehand that you were afraid of heights.”

“Why? So you could’ve made fun of me?”

“It would’ve been better than falling off my bike over and over again and then not even going to Mauville!”

“Why were we even goin’ to Mauville that day, anyways?”

“A new ice cream shop opened up, and I wanted to try it.”

“You’re the only person I’ve ever met that would go that far just for some ice cream.”

“It was good though, wasn’t it?”

“Eh, nothin’ beats the lil’ shack on the beach. But to each their own.” He paused. “Speakin’ of food, did ya want somethin’ to eat?”

“Do you even have anything in here?”

“Uh…” Archie headed over to the table, where he had left a bunch of snacks. He hadn’t really anticipated staying in Kalos that long, nor did he expect company, so all he really had with him was junk food; why would he make himself something when there was so much good Kalosian food to try? “I got some potato chips. And candy. There might be some jerky left over…”

“What are you, a teenager?” Maxie asked. He held out his hand anyways. “I will take some of that candy, though.”

“Of course you will.”

Archie joined him on the bed again, and Maxie immediately ripped into the candy, eating it greedily.

“Jeez, Max, when was the last time ya ate?”

“This morning. But I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this kind of candy.”

“It can’t be that great. You live in Kalos! They’ve got like the best chocolate in the world here, don’t they?”

“They do but… sometimes you can’t help but miss some of the tastes of home, I suppose.”

Archie noticed Maxie gazing at the wrapper rather thoughtfully. He really did miss home, didn’t he? That, or he was just remorseful for eating the candy so quickly instead of savoring it.

“Ha, look at us!” Archie exclaimed, clapping his hand on Maxie’s shoulder. “It’s just like we’re lil’ scamps again, havin’ ourselves a sleepover, don’t ya think? Hey, speakin’ of, did you wanna stay the night, maybe?”

“What?” Maxie asked. “No, I really shouldn’t. I’ve troubled you enough as it is and-” He got off the bed and immediately gritted his teeth once his foot hit the ground. It didn’t take long for him to sit back down.

“That’s kinda what I figured.”

“Well, what about you?” Maxie asked. “There’s only one bed, so I should really be-”

“Eh, the couch is comfy enough for me. No worries.”

Maxie eventually gave in once again, ultimately deciding that he was too tired and too sore to head back to Lumiose for the night. After chatting a little while longer, the two of them finally headed to bed. Archie offered to lend Maxie one of his T-shirts for pajamas, but Maxie refused and remained in his turtleneck. Some things don’t change, Archie supposed. Still, he couldn’t complain too much. After all, Maxie was actually spending time with him. The two of them were not only talking but actually getting along after all these years! And to think that just a few hours ago, Archie had thought Maxie was dead! While Maxie still seemed… a little wary and skittish, it was great to have him back. It really did feel like the two of them were just teenagers, having a little sleepover again just like old times. Archie was so excited that he couldn’t really bring himself to sleep. That, and he had lied; the couch was a bit uncomfortable.

“Hey, Max?” Archie said, his voice just a whisper. They had been silent since he had shut the lights off, but Archie hadn’t heard any movement or snoring from Maxie’s direction. Maybe he was still awake? “You still up?”

“What do you want, Archie?” Maxie replied irritably.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes.”

“What is it?”

“Do ya remember that time when we had a sleepover at your house when we were like, fifteen?”

“You mean that time when you convinced me to sneak out, and we sat at the beach until the sun began to rise?”

“Yeah, that was fun.” Archie said, sighing happily. “It was great for star-gazin’ at least. With the sky reflected in the ocean, it made it so easy to catch shootin’ stars.”

“Since when did you become so interested in astrology?”

“I’m not really into that. I just think the stars are pretty. And I liked wishin’ on ‘em. I know seein’ it was already a once in a lifetime thing, but somehow I always thought I’d wind up seein’ Jirachi again.”

“You never did tell me what you wished for, you know.”

“What? No, I totally did!”

“Yes, you told me that you wished for your carvanha to become the strongest sharpedo ever. I might have believed that if I didn’t so easily beat him in the Seafloor Cavern.”

“Oh. Right.” Archie had nearly forgotten about it. That lie he had come up with just to make Maxie laugh over twenty years ago.

“So what did you wish for? I’m curious.”

“I’m not tellin’ ya.”

“Oh, come on. Why not?”

“Because ya won’t even tell me what you’re up to nowadays.”

“Fine, I suppose you don’t have to tell me.”

Archie furrowed his eyebrows. He had been hoping that that would’ve been enough to get Maxie to open up, but apparently not.

“Say, Max? If ya ran into Jirachi, what would ya wish for?”

“You mean now, or if I was a child?”

“I guess now.”

“Hmm…” Maxie paused and took a deep breath. “I think I’d wish for forgiveness.”

“From whom?” Archie asked hesitantly. It had been a hypothetical question; he hadn’t expected Maxie to take it so seriously, let alone answer so seriously.

“From… everyone, really. The only way I was able to fix everything was to erase myself, you know? I’m here right now, but… technically, Maxie Matsubusa doesn’t exist. He’s dead, and remembered as an idiot who almost killed everyone. I know I don’t… necessarily deserve forgiveness. But if I could find someway to erase that hatred maybe I could ease the guilt a little.” He laughed bitterly. “Or maybe I could just wish for a time machine, or something along those lines. If I stopped myself from doing anything, then there would be no need for forgiveness, would there?”

Archie didn’t respond for a moment. He had honestly just been trying to make conversation, to relive those childhood sleepovers where the pair would just lay awake far too late into the night, talking about whatever came to mind. With the rush of just being with him again, Archie had almost forgotten all that had happened between then and now. All of the things that had shaped them into who they were currently, that had pushed them far, far away from the naivety of childhood and adolescence. He had been apart from Maxie for fourteen years now; and he had just been reminded of what had torn their once unbreakable bond apart.

“…Jeez, Max,” Archie finally said, “That really makes my new wish seem dumb.”

“What is your new wish?”

“I’d wish for a beautiful new boat. One that’ll never run out of fuel, and will always remain fully stocked. That way I could travel the world for as long as I want and never have to worry about a damn thing.”

“I wouldn’t call that dumb.” Maxie laughed. “That just sounds incredibly like you.”

“Ya callin’ me dumb?”

“If that’s how you want to take it, be my guest.” Maxie yawned. Even from where he was laying, Archie could tell that Maxie was growing tired. He typically was the first one to fall asleep at their sleepovers, and he could always tell just from his voice when Maxie was beginning to doze off.

“Hey, Max?”

“What is it, Archie…?”

“I’m really glad you’re still here.”

“Mmm… goodnight, Archie.”

When Archie awoke the next morning, he found the hotel bed empty. Maxie was gone, and besides the discarded bandages in the trash can, there was no sign of him having been here at all. He felt like he was going to lose it. Finally, after all these years, he had actually seen Maxie again, only for him to disappear into thin air once more. Archie felt like he was about to throw something when he noticed something odd on the snack-covered table. There was a small slip of paper sitting right on top of a fancy, Kalosian candy bar. Curiously he picked up the slip of paper, which read:

_Nothing beats your favorite childhood candy, but this one certainly comes close._

_–M._

Archie figured this was the closest thing he was going to get to a thank you. At the very least, he was thankful that Maxie had at least acknowledged him this time, instead of leaving without a single word. Archie sat down at the table and opened the candy bar. It was a fancy white chocolate bar with fudge filling. He smiled; at least Maxie’s sweet tooth hadn’t changed over the years. As he ate it, he idly played with the slip of paper, until he noticed more text on the back. He flipped it over and realized it was business card.

_Université de la Lumiose_

__Professeur Marius_ M. Aogiri_

_Le Collége des Sciences_

Archie’s comprehension of Kalosian was still rather weak, but even he could tell that not only was this a business card, but that Maxie was a teacher. No, even more than that… he was a professor! There was an address printed on the card, as well as what looked like a phone number. There was no way Maxie had left this on accident. With this little card, he was giving Archie the opportunity to write him, or call him, and possibly even see him again. Archie grinned at the card; perhaps he and Maxie would really be able to turn over a new leaf. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I straight up put him in Kalos bc it's the region I know the most about right behind Hoenn. Also I've seen ppl headcanon Maxie as being friends with Lysandre so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> And yes, he has been going by Archie's last name. Real subtle there, buddy


	8. Maxie, Age 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture I'm referring to in this chapter is this one: (http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/5/54/Slateport_City_Mt_Chimney_artwork.png). In XY a lot of the paintings in the museum are just official art, so I can imagine this being there, too.  
> Also once again, shout out to the lovely kessavel-art for once again drawing wonderful art for this fic!!! (http://kessavel-art.tumblr.com/post/148261349320)

It was far too hot for Maxie’s liking, but unfortunately there was little he could do about it. Kalos was a region that was proud of its history, and many of their buildings were very old. It was simply too difficult to install air conditioning in most of them, so many of the people of Kalos simply just dealt with the heat as best as they could. Sure, their summers never reached the extent more tropical regions like Hoenn and Alola did, but the summer months could still be rather grating in the typically mild region.

Maxie’s apartment, unfortunately, was no different. He sat at his desk with all the windows open and two fans on, trying to rid himself of the hot, stuffy air. Normally he was cold all of the time, but this was just annoying. He was attempting to organize his things; the new semester would be starting soon, and he’d need to make sure he’d have everything he needed to teach classes again this year. At the very least, that was something to look forward to. Kalos was wonderful during the fall when everything cooled and it would be nice having something to do after sitting around all summer, trying to find something to occupy his time. A lot of people became teachers and professors because of the freedoms it granted during the summer, but if Maxie could, he’d teach year round. At least it’d keep him from the overbearing heat and silence of his apartment during the summer months.

Maxie stopped organizing his things when he heard a knock at the door. He paused for a moment, then decided to ignore it. Maxie never got visitors. Why would he? Aside from a few friendly coworkers and the occasional over-invested student, he didn’t really have that many friends here in Kalos. Someone was probably just there to sell something. However, the knocking soon started once again. Maxie glared at the paperwork he was working on. Who could possibly be this insistent about visiting him? He groaned and finally opened the door.

“Maxie!!” Archie exclaimed. He was grinning ear to ear, holding a box and a bouquet of balloons in his arms. “I-”

Maxie immediately shut the door on him.

“Oh c’mon, Max, that’s not funny!” Archie complained through the door. He started knocking again, and this time Maxie opened the door, but only a crack.

“What the hell are you doing here, Archie?” Maxie whispered furiously. “How did you even find me?”

“You gave me your business card.” Archie replied with a shrug. “It’s really not that hard to find people once you know their full name.”

“Still! I gave you that with the intent of writing me or having you visit me at work! There’s lots of people around, it’s safe, there’s no chance that you could…”

“I could what?” Archie asked. “Max, do you still seriously think I’m gonna hurt you or somethin’?”

“You can never be too careful.”

“Of course.” Archie said, exasperated. “I don’t know why I thought we were actually gonna be all buddy-buddy again. Can I please come in, at least?”

Maxie looked down the hall both ways, just to ensure that Archie hadn’t brought anyone else or been followed, and finally opened the door.

“Fine.”

Archie rushed inside, placing his things on the table. Unfortunately, one of the balloons got swept up in the current from the fans, and drifted out the open balcony door.

“Shit!” Archie immediately rushed to the balcony, leaning dangerously far over it, and just barely managed to grab ahold of the balloon before it drifted away forever. He backed away from the door and smiled at Maxie triumphantly, despite his shaking hand.

“What’s wrong with you?” Maxie asked, strolling to the door and finally shutting it. “You could have just let it go, you know. Aren’t you terrified of heights?”

“Absolutely! But losin’ one of them woulda been unacceptable!”

Maxie just rolled his eyes. When he had left that business card with Archie, he had done so intentionally. After having him help him once again, he decided that maybe he’d let him stay in contact. He still figured that Archie deserved better and would be much happier with other friends, but if there was anything that he had learned over the years, it was that he and Archie just seemed fated to interact. That, and being alone in a region he still didn’t know that well was awfully isolating. Seeing how his only friend here had died, he could use someone else to socialize with. And sending letters back and forth to Archie had been a good solution. He could keep his distance, but still have someone to talk to. He hadn’t anticipated Archie actually tracking his home down and visiting with absolutely no warning.

“It’s just a balloon!”

“It’s not just a balloon. It’s a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yup. It’s August 28th, right?” Archie asked, eagerly holding the bouquet of red balloons out for Maxie. “Happy birthday, Maxie!”

“Um…” Maxie took them anyways. “Thanks.”

Maxie had honestly forgotten all about his birthday. When coming up with his new Kalosian identity, he hadn’t really thought about it and just wrote a random date of birth down, so of course he hadn’t really remembered it, let alone celebrated it. Even before then, it had been quite some time since he had last celebrated his birthday. When was the last time… his 28th? His 30th? He couldn’t remember. He hadn’t talked much about his personal life to his team; he had wanted to keep things as professional as he could. Tabitha knew his birthday, and by extension so did Courtney, but they respected his professionalism and usually only left a small cake and a card in his office.

“So?” Archie asked, nudging him with his elbow.

“So what?” Maxie asked.

“Where’s the party? And all the presents and the cake?”

“What am I, a ten year old?”

“No, but… I mean you’re forty now, aren’t ya? Pretty sure that counts as a milestone.”

“There aren’t really milestones when you’re dead.”

“Just as optimistic as ever, I see. I’m gonna guess ya didn’t invite anyone then.”

“Of course I didn’t. If it wasn’t for you, I probably would’ve completely forgotten my birthday.”

“How the hell do you forget your own birthday?”

“Well, when you don’t celebrate it for close to twelve years it kind of slips your mind.”

“Thank goodness I came here then! I’ve got all ya need for a proper birthday!” He gestured to the box on the table. Maxie didn’t make any effort to move or look at it. “W-well, c’mon! At least open it!”

Maxie sighed and strolled over to the table, and opened the box. Inside, he found an assortment of cupcakes, all decorated sloppily to look like numel.

“Happy birthday!” Archie repeated. “I made those just for you! They’re all red velvet. Your favorite, right?”

Maxie picked up a cupcake and inspected it. The cupcakes were messy; the colors of the frosting bleeding in to one another, making it look more like a child’s interpretation of a numel than the pokemon itself, but the sight of it made him smile nonetheless. It reminded him of when he was a little kid, and his mother would make him a red velvet cake each year on his birthday, usually decorated to look like Groudon or something else he liked.

“I can’t believe you remembered.” He finally said.

“’Course I did. I always remember the most useless details about everything. That’s why I could never remember equations; too busy remembering people’s favorite foods and their birthdays.”

“True,” that got a laugh out of Maxie, “but that’s why I was there for you to copy off of.”

The two of them helped themselves to a couple of cupcakes, making idle small talk as they did so. Maxie was surprised by just how good they tasted; he had never pinned Archie as the type to be good at baking. Soon enough, Archie began to grow restless, taping the table anxiously.

“So!” He exclaimed, throwing the cupcake wrapper into the trashcan. “Ya ready to go?”

“Go? Where?”

“I dunno. Around, I guess! I wanted to take ya out for your birthday, and I’ve never really been in Lumiose, so…”

“Wait a second; did you come here for my birthday, or so you could sight see?”

“A little of both.” Maxie just glared at him. “Oh come on, Max! I only managed to get one day off to be here, and I don’t wanna spend it in this stuffy apartment. You can’t be havin’ fun in here either, right?” Maxie didn’t say anything, idly glancing back at his paperwork. Archie’s intrusion was far less than welcome, but he certainly hadn’t been having fun before he arrived. “That’s what I thought. So c’mon, let’s do somethin’!”

“Fine.” Maxie finally agreed. “But only a few conditions. If we run into anyone I know, you’re not allowed to talk. Got it?”

“Yeesh, ya sound like my mom before we go to family reunions.”

“Two: Only call me Maxie if we’re alone or no one’s close by. Otherwise, I’m Marius.”

“What made ya decide that name?”

“That’s not important. And lastly: just let me do the talking, please. Your Kalosian is atrocious.”

“Hey I’ve been tryin’!”

“I’m sure you have but please… just don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Whatever. Anything else I should know, boss?”

“Didn’t our teachers always end this spiel with ‘don’t forget to have fun’? I suppose you should do that as well.”

* * *

 

Maxie’s apartment was located in the Southern Boulevard of Lumiose City, so he began by showing Archie around there, slowly making his way to the Northern Boulevard. The art museum and some of his favorite cafes were located in that part of the city, and seeing how today was his birthday, he assumed that Archie would just let him take him wherever he pleased. He took Archie down Vernal Avenue first, passing by the many shops that lined the streets. Archie showed little interest in the Stone Emporium (“I bet the ol’ champ Steven would’ve loved this!”) and the boutique (“180,000 for a pair of slacks? Is everyone in Lumiose just made of cash or somethin’?”). However, Maxie had a hard time getting Archie to leave the Friseur Frufrou, and he had excitedly asked him if there was a salon for other pokemon, for example mightyena or sharpedo. He had been wildly disappointed to find out there wasn’t, but that didn’t stop him from petting some of the more extroverted frufrous in the shop.

Despite how formal Lumiose City was, Archie seemed to really enjoy it. And now that Maxie was out with him, he could see why. The city was always lively, the streets always lined with people and pokemon going about their day. While the people of Lumiose could be rather prim and standoffish in comparison to typically laid back attitude of those in Hoenn, they were friendly enough, and the friendliness of pokemon never changed across cultures. Archie was more than happy to pet some of the skiddos that wandered the street, and several trainers’ pokemon seemed drawn to him as well. While passing through Hibernal Avenue, the pair passed by an incredibly large arcanine, which was on a leash that was tied to a tree. It was immediately drawn to Archie and tackled him, licking his face excitedly.

“All right, all right!” Archie exclaimed happily. “I’m happy to see ya too!”

Maxie instinctually found himself backing away from the large pokemon. He certainly did love pokemon, but he tended to be wary of them at first glance. You never know if they were friendly or not, and with the incident he had had with the Zangoose, among other things, he couldn’t help but be a little uneasy.

“C’mon, Ma- Marius!” Archie said, waving at him from underneath the large creature. “He’s not gonna bite!”

“I’m alright, thanks.”

“Oh come on! I thought fire types were your thing!”

“They are, but I’m not particularly fond of arcanine.”

“Aww, why not? They’re adorable!” He pet the arcanine on its stomach, and it growled happily.

“One of my colleagues at… my first job in Kalos had one.” Maxie explained. “It didn’t like me for some reason, and bit my leg pretty badly.”

“Aww, really? That sucks.” Archie finally stood up, the arcanine whining as he did so. “Well, it’s not cool to blame all of ‘em based on one hurtin’ ya.” He strolled over to Maxie, and grabbed ahold of his wrist. “C’mon, this one’s real sweet!”

“Let go, you’re acting like a child.” Maxie protested.

“You’re the one actin’ like a child. What kinda grown man is too scared to pet a pokemon?”

“Let go.” Maxie found himself growing nervous as he approached the creature, the same, twisting feeling in his stomach that he had felt that day he had been attacked by Zangoose, or the time in Rocket when he had… “Let go!” Maxie pulled his arm out of Archie’s grip, his sweater making it hard for Archie to hold on anyways.

“Jeez, Max. If you really hated it that much, you coulda just said so.” Archie replied, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Where did ya wanna go now?”

Maxie just sighed and lead him out of the avenue towards the Northern Boulevard. He knew bringing Archie with him would’ve been a bad idea; during the past fifteen years, nothing came out of spending time with him except for trouble. But… he supposed he couldn’t leave Archie alone, lost in this large confusing city when he couldn’t even communicate properly. Besides, he hadn’t meant any harm. Maxie idly rubbed his wrist where Archie had grabbed ahold of him; his grip had been as tight as always. Archie hadn’t known. And if Archie was so kind as to give him a second chance at friendship and even go as far as visiting him for his birthday, Maxie decided the least he could do was stick around for it.

Finally, the two of them reached the Lumiose Art Museum. Maxie loved this place; not only were all of the pieces inside the museum unique and beautiful, but also each of them told a story that related to Kalos’ history, or the histories of pokemon and trainers alike. Plus, it was one of the few places in Lumiose where he didn’t feel the pressure to socialize. While no one other than Lysandre and a couple other people in Flare had recognized him, he still couldn’t help but feel uneasy going out in public and talking with people. And at least at places like this he could wander around in silence, simply letting himself take in the culture.

Usually, at least. With Archie with him, it was hard to enjoy anything in silence. He couldn’t exactly blame Archie, though. While he never particularly hated museums or things of that nature, he did get rather restless in them, and with the audio guides only being available in Kalosian, all he could really do was look at the images and try to guess what was happening, or ask Maxie what was going on. As expected, he liked a lot of the pictures that were rather silly in nature, like the portrait of a Kalosian royal with a mew at his side, and the image of an old man with a noctowl who could guess the future. Along with that, he liked the painting of the Sea of Kalos, but couldn’t seem to care less about the paintings of the rather dreary Kalos Power Plant, or some of the historical images.

“How come there’s a portrait for Unova, and Johto but there’s nothin’ for Hoenn? There’s tons of pretty things in Hoenn to paint!”

“You just want more paintings of the ocean, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. But they could at least have one, don’t ya think?”

“There is one Hoenn painting. It’s in the west wing upstairs, come on.” While Maxie wasn’t about to sink to Archie’s level and complain, he did agree with him: it would’ve been nice to see a couple of images of home. There really was only one here, and while it was a charming image of Mr. Briney and his wingull, it fell a bit short in comparison to the beautiful painting of Ecruteak City and the intricate image of the Sinnoh’s Battle Frontier.

“Whoa!” Archie exclaimed, running ahead of him. He was marveling at a large painting in the center of the room, where the portrait of Mr. Briney used to be.

“Well this is new…” Maxie trailed off as he got a better look at the painting on the wall. It was a large, beautiful image of Hoenn as seen from Route 109 into the mainland. The image started at the ever-lively beach, and through there one could see Slateport City, then even further in the background was the Seaside Cycling Road and Mauville City. From there, the path became a little distorted, but Jagged Path and Lavaridge City were all in view, and towering above it all was the smoking Mount Chimney. Maxie was stunned at the sight of it. Sure, it was new to the museum and he had never seen it before; but everything in it was just so familiar.

It depicted the coast of Slateport, which Maxie had had to gaze at everyday from his bedroom window when he had been too sickly to leave the house.

In the distance, he could see his original home, Lavaridge City, which despite not living there for decades now he couldn’t help but miss occasionally. He could see the Jagged Pass where he had met his very first pokemon… and, he thought, glancing up at Archie’s face for a moment, where he had irreversibly hurt Archie. Even after all these years, he still felt terrible about it.

It depicted the beach off of Slateport, where Archie had taken him when they had first met. He remembered Archie begging him to go swimming with him, and he remembered that time nearly eight years later where he had finally agreed, joyously ruining his late father’s suit in the process.

That beach was also the last part of Hoenn he had ever seen, as he boarded the boat to Kalos under the cover of nightfall and never looked back.

“I think this woulda been nicer if it showed more of the ocean, don’t ya think?” Archie asked, nudging Maxie with his elbow. Maxie didn’t respond, instead stepping closer to the painting. He just couldn’t take his eyes off it. These past couple of years, he had kept his mind and eyes off of Hoenn as much as possible. He knew that no good would come from obsessively keeping up with the news and events of a land that would never be home to him again. But it still was home. No matter how much Maxie distanced himself from Hoenn and made himself a life in Kalos, nothing would ever replace Hoenn; the region he grew up in, the place he had caught his first pokemon and made his first friends and lived a vast majority of his life…

The place he had tried so desperately to better. The place he had truly thought he could save and make people happy and prove that he could do something right for once in his life, only for it to backfire. The beautiful image he saw before him was one he had almost destroyed due to his stupidity, and remembering that made his stomach turn. He looked away from the image, instead staring at the nameplate.

“What does the guide say about it?” Archie asked. “Other than ‘the best region in the whole world’, of course.”

Maxie clicked the button, and listened as the soft narrator’s voice described the image.

 _“Mt. Chimney as Seen from Afar.”_ It said. _“The Hoenn region consists of a wide variety of climates from rainforests to dry deserts, and sunny beaches to towering volcanoes. The region is said to be a perfect harmony between land and sea.”_

“Huh.” Archie said after Maxie had repeated and translated it to him. “That’s a nice way of describin’ it. Part of me wants to complain that there’s not enough sea but… I guess we both kinda learned the hard way that thinkin’ like that doesn’t get us anywhere.”

Maxie still said nothing, instead dwelling on the words of the audio guide. Yes, of course Hoenn had been perfect the way it was. He had been an idiot for trying to tamper with it, for trying to change an already beautiful place, for trying to prove he could actually do anything beneficial…

“Hey, Max?” Archie asked. “You okay? You’ve been starin’ at it for awhile now, and-”

“I miss it.” Maxie finally said, not taking his eyes off the painting.

“What, Hoenn?”

“Yes. I love Kalos. It’s a beautiful, wonderfully pleasant region. But it’s not Hoenn.” Archie placed his hand on Maxie’s shoulder, surprisingly silent for once. It seemed now that he was older, he had learned how to read the atmosphere, at least a little bit.

“This is foolish.” Maxie continued. “Why should I miss it? I was the one so dissatisfied with it that I nearly destroyed it. But it’s still home, I suppose.”

“I’m sorry, Max.”

“Don’t be. It’s my fault everything turned out this way. I’m just thankful Hoenn is still the way it’s always been.”

“If it’s any consolation, a lot of us miss you. I know I’ve told you that before, and you said that soon enough we’d all get over it, but we really haven’t. Tabitha still refers to you as ‘leader Maxie’, y’know. And he talks about you a lot. Same with Courtney. And your mom still visits my folks every once in awhile, and she tends to bring you up a lot, too.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I just thought I’d tell you that there is still a place for you in Hoenn. We’re still there if you ever decide…”

“Thank you, Archie.” Maxie said. He knew there was no way he could just go home, especially after everything he had done. He had come to terms with that the moment he had decided to erase Maxie Matsubusa forever. But… the thought of being able to come home even once, that there might be people there that actually wanted to see him… It still warmed his heart somehow. But he knew better than to pack up and just go back. He had made his choice, and just as he had done his whole life, he would have to live with the consequences. “I appreciate it. Really, I do. But…”

“I know, I know.” Archie interrupted. “You can’t come home for a bunch of different reasons. I wasn’t expectin’ you to just jump into my arms and come home forever. I just thought I’d tell you anyways.”

“Well, thanks.” Maxie smiled. “You’ve really grown up, Archie.”

“Ugh, don’t tell me that. Shelly’s been pickin’ on me enough that I’m gonna be forty this year.”

“How do you think I feel?”

“Same as always, probably. Ya acted like you were forty when you were twelve.”

“At least I’m not doing the opposite.”

* * *

 

When Maxie and Archie left the museum, the sun was beginning to set. Despite that, the streets were still just as crowded as they had been during the afternoon. Even more so, actually. Tons of people lined the streets, several with cameras, blankets and some even had balloons.

“Hey, Marius,” Archie asked, eyeing some of the people curiously. “What’s goin’ on? Was everyone invited to your party or somethin’?”

“No this is… damn it. I completely forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

Maxie grabbed ahold of his hand and began to walk briskly through the still gathering crowds of people.

“Come on. If we don’t hurry, we won’t get back to my apartment until daybreak.”

Maxie rushed Archie through the crowds as quickly as they could and thankfully they got back to the Southern Boulevard without too much trouble. Maxie all but collapsed on his chair once he arrived, exhausted. Even after all these years, he found himself growing tired quickly at most physical activity. He would never understand how Archie could go swim for an hour and not seem tired in the slightest.

“Hey, what was that all about?” Archie asked. “I mean-”

He was cut off at the sound of a loud explosion, coming from somewhere outside. Archie immediately rushed to the balcony, confused.

“Max, what was-” He was cut off again by the same sound: a large firework exploding up above the city. “Oh.”

“They’re just fireworks.” Maxie said, finally joining him on the balcony. “You can see them just fine from my apartment, so I wasn’t about to get caught up in that crowd.”

“Makes sense. What’re they for, anyways?” Archie smirked. “Was everyone in on your birthday?”

“No. Today is the two-year anniversary of that child… Serena, I think it was? Saving Kalos from Team Flare’s plans. If there’s anything I’ve learned about Kalos, it’s that the people here really love finding reasons to celebrate. You should’ve seen the parade they had the day of. It was huge! Most every business in the city was closed until it ended.”

“Damn. Two years already, huh?”

“Yes.” Maxie said, leaning against the banister. “Kind of makes you wonder when the next catastrophe will almost occur.”

“Well at least when that happens, we’ll have some cool fireworks to look forward to.”

They stood in silence for a moment longer, simply watching the fireworks as they beautifully colored the sky. In the streets below them, they could make out the faint sound of music playing, as well as the excited murmurs of the crowds as they watched the sky and celebrated.

“Say Max, when was the last time ya watched fireworks? Besides New Years, I mean.”

“Probably when Flare was defeated. It would’ve been suspicious had I not been in the crowd.”

“I haven’t seen any since… jeez, not since my twenties, probably!”

That wasn’t surprising, while Hoenn celebrated New Year’s quite ecstatically, there were very few other events or holidays which warranted a large-scale celebration, let alone fireworks. There were quite a few festivals during the summers that Maxie remembered having fireworks, but he hadn’t been to one in a very long time.

“Do ya remember the festival they used to hold ever summer in Slateport?”

“The one you dragged me to every year?”

“Yeah, that one! I think the last time I watched the fireworks was when we saw ‘em together our final year of college. Remember?”

“Of course.” Maxie remembered that clearly. He and Archie had traveled back to Slateport for a short period of time between graduating and joining Team Rocket. That had been one of the better times he had visited the festival. It was tradition to write down a wish and hang it up at the shrine. It had been the first year Maxie hadn’t written anything down. With his promising job at Team Rocket pending, he had had no doubt that finally; he was on the right track. Everything was going to go just smoothly, and those wishes he had eagerly written down as a child would be a reality in a few mere years, maybe months if he worked hard enough.

Oh, he thought bitterly, how naïve he had been.

“That was the last time I went to that festival.” Archie said, abruptly pulling Maxie from his thoughts.

“Really? Why? You used to love that festival.”

“I still do. I just go so busy with… y’know, Team Aqua stuff, that it kept slippin’ my mind. I’m sure it was the same for you.”

“Well, why haven’t you gone back since you disbanded?”

“Eh.” Archie shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the same without ya.”

“If you say so.” Maxie gazed back at the fireworks again, trying to hide the smile on his face. Archie could be so sentimental sometimes, and even after nearly a decade of hating one another, it seemed that hadn’t changed at all. Maxie felt Archie place his arm around his shoulder once again, and the two continued to watch the fireworks together in silence. Maxie could tell that the show was nearing its end. The fireworks were exploding at a higher rate now, illuminating the sky fantastically in bright reds and purples.

“Maxie,” Archie finally said, pulling a small box out of his pocket, “happy birthday. I meant to give this to ya earlier but I couldn’t find the right moment. Guess now’s as good a time as ever.”

“Right moment?” Maxie asked, taking the box from him anyways. “It’s just a birthday gift, it’s not like you’re…” He trailed off when he finally opened the present. Inside, nestled between protective fluff was a beautiful silver ring. However, what caught Maxie’s attention the most was the stone in the center of the ring. It was a small, rainbow stone with a symbol in the center. He recognized it immediately, of course. It was a keystone. He had gotten his first one when he had graduated from college, but he hadn’t really put it to use until many years later, especially considering that Team Rocket would have confiscated it had they known about it. Of course, after Team Magma had almost destroyed the world, he had had it taken away from him. He didn’t know what had happened to it, but he hadn’t really cared. Losing his pokemon had been a harder blow than losing a simple stone.

“I, uh, know ya don’t use glasses anymore, so I thought that maybe a ring would look nice. If ya don’t like it though, I’m sure you can find a bracelet or a pin, or somethin’. I dunno.” Archie seemed nervous for some reason, anxiously scratching the back of his neck.

“A ring is just fine.” Maxie said, taking it out of the box and placing it on his finger. “Now I just need a pokemon that’s capable of mega evolution.”

“You don’t have one? What pokemon do you have nowadays, anyways?”

“You’ve met Pyroar. I also have a talonflame, and a lampent… That’s about it, though. I haven’t really been as avid about collecting pokemon as I was back in Hoenn.”

“Well, one of ‘em might be able to mega evolve one day. Who knows? I’ve heard Sycamore and lots of other professors have been findin’ more and more pokemon that can mega evolve.”

“Maybe.”

“What’s the matter?” Archie asked, seemingly noticing his less than enthusiastic reaction. Maxie hated how bitter he had sounded, but he couldn’t help it. He should be optimistic, and accept the gift that Archie had given him whole-heartedly… But he didn’t want a pyroar or a chandelure that could mega evolve.

“I guess I just miss my camerupt.” Maxie replied. While he was never as serious about pokemon training as Archie was, he couldn’t disagree that there was no bond quite like the bond between a trainer and their first pokemon. And that bond had been torn from him five years ago now.

“I’m sorry about that, Max. I dunno what I’d do if my sharpedo was taken from me.” He squeezed Maxie’s shoulder in a way he assumed was supposed to be comforting but as always he did it a little too tightly.

“It’s all right.” Maxie said, silently criticizing himself for his pessimism. He couldn’t be thinking like this right now! He’d have all the time to be pessimistic when he was alone in his quiet apartment. Right now, he was with Archie, and it was his birthday, and there were fireworks going off, and he should be happy, or at the very least try.

“Maybe try and see it as a second chance. If you could form such a strong friendship with a pokemon before, I’m sure you can do it again!”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well, it worked for us, didn’t it?”

* * *

 

Archie stayed in Maxie’s apartment that night, but by the time Maxie had awoken, he was gone. Of course, he had left a long note on the table apologizing for leaving without saying a proper goodbye, going on about how he would’ve stayed longer if he could have, and another apology for stealing something to eat from Maxie’s fridge. Maxie had just rolled his eyes at it; typical Archie. He still drew a small drawing a kyogre when he signed his letters. Maxie just seriously hoped that he didn’t do that on any professional documents. Maxie grabbed the letter, deciding he was going to put it in the desk drawer along with all the other letters Archie had sent him over the past couple of months since they had met in Reflecting Cave. He pulled the ring off, too, deciding that he probably wouldn’t have much use for it. He appreciated Archie’s kindness, but someone like him really didn’t need- or deserve- something like that. He stopped when he noticed some more writing on the back of the paper that he had neglected earlier.

_P.S., We should do this again sometime! My fortieth’s coming, too. Maybe next time, we could visit Hoenn together? Everyone would love to see you again. We all love you, don’t forget that!_

Maxie stared at the paper, rereading the text several times before finally placing it in the drawers with the others.

The ring, however, he put right back on his finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why August 28th??? Bc I'm astrology loving trash and determined that Maxie would be a virgo, that's really my only reasoning


	9. Archie, Age 40 Part 1

The halls of the University of Lumiose were large and ornate, filled with every bit of grandeur one would expect from the relatively formal city. It looked nothing like the University Archie and Maxie had attended which, despite its age, had been renovated again and again to a point that it was unrecognizable from its original structure. Archie supposed different regions just tended to act differently. Lumiose was all about heritage and history while Hoenn seemed to be more of a hub for progress. Archie figured both were good, but he couldn’t help but prefer Hoenn’s. At least everything was kept simple and was easy to find. Or… maybe that was just because he had lived there so long. Plus, knowing the language helped.

Finally he found the room he was looking for: 105. He pushed the door open as quietly as he could, and took a seat in the very back of the classroom. He checked his watch: 2:23pm; he was a tad bit early. So, as expected, the final exam being held in the room was not finished yet, and several students still filled the classroom, anxiously scribbling away on their exam sheets. Thankfully, none of them seemed to have noticed him, and he began idly doodling on a scrap piece of paper he found, hoping that it made him seem enough like a student that no one would look twice at him. However, being surrounded by actual students made him feel like a complete outcast. Most of the people in the classroom were half his age at this point. Oh well, he figured, there had to be at least a few older people like him that still attended school.

He gazed at the front of the classroom where Maxie sat at his desk looking… quite frankly, bored out of his mind. Obviously there was nothing for him to teach today, but he still had to sit up front and collect the exams as they were turned in, plus keep an eye out for anyone who might be cheating. He looked rather bored, but once he caught Archie’s eye in the back of the room, he noticed him sit up, looking slightly startled. He quickly returned to his normal, dull expression, probably not wanting to worry any of his students. However, he kept periodically glancing back up to the corner Archie sat in, glaring up at him.

Finally, all the tests had been turned in, and the room was empty, save for Archie, Maxie…

And a young woman whom Archie had noticed sitting at the very front of the classroom, looking like she was bored, too. From what he could tell, she had either finished the exam incredibly quickly and just waited the rest of the class out, or she was the bravest slacker he had ever seen. Somehow, he assumed the former, considering that Maxie didn’t look irritated to see her. In fact, he looked rather happy. Archie tried to ignore his jealous thoughts for a second, figuring that Maxie probably put on a happy façade for all his students. That, and the girl was likely half Maxie’s age. There was no way he was in to her in that way.

Hopefully.

Archie strolled down the stairs toward Maxie and the girl, listening in to their conversation as he drew closer. That was rather useless, considering he didn’t know much Kalosian, and the girl was clearly a native speaker, what with how quickly she was speaking. Whatever they were talking about, the girl looked thrilled to pieces, and gave Maxie a tight hug before leaving the classroom, looking content. Maxie just looked confused.

“What was that all about, professor?” Archie asked teasingly, leaning against Maxie’s desk.

“What are you doing here?” Maxie asked. “You know I could get you in trouble for trespassing during my class.”

“Would you really go that far? On finals day?”

“No, I suppose I wouldn’t. I have enough paperwork to do, anyways.” He sat down at his desk, organizing the exams that had just been turned in, effectively ignoring Archie still leaning against his desk.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Max. What was up with that girl? Did she confess her feelings for you or somethin’?”

“Don’t be disgusting. I’m old enough to be her father! Béatrice was just asking me about a project she had missed out on about a month ago due to a family emergency. She’s a stellar student, so I told her not to worry about it and gave her an A.”

“Why’d she hug ya then?”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about Kalos, it’s that the people here are supremely affectionate, even in professional situations.”

“That’s for sure.” Archie hadn’t really interacted with very many strangers in Kalos, but he had seen quite a few friends, and sometimes even acquaintances greet one another with two kisses on the cheeks. If that was how friends said hello, it was no wonder she had given Maxie a hug over an A. “Still, I can’t believe it.”

“What?”

“Not only did ya become a teacher, but you’re a cool teacher, too? How the hell…”

“I’m not just a cool teacher, Archie,” Maxie explained with a smirk, “I’m _the_ cool teacher as well. I’ve overheard students recommending me to other students making their schedules.”

“Unbelievable. How are you cool?”

“I guess it’s because I’m lenient? I understand better than anyone how difficult it can be to keep up with school with constant sick days or family emergencies. Students really seem to appreciate that.”

“Oh.” When he said it like that, it did make sense for Maxie to be a “cool” teacher. He had just figured with his rather icy personality, students would be wary of him. Archie idly picked up one of the business cards on Maxie’s desk and read it out loud. “Professor Marius Aogiri. You might as well add ‘certified cool teacher’ after that. How’d you come up with that name, anyways?”

“I wanted a Kalosian name close enough to my own so I could get used to it quickly. As for the surname, I had to do something that would explain my accent.”

“Why my name, though? Did you really want the name of your most hated adversary?”

“Aogiri is a fairly common name. And I figured that no one would think of me to choose it.”

“Eh, makes sense, I guess.”

Maxie finally stood from his desk with all the exams organized into folders in hand. He looked like he was about to head out, but hesitated for a moment.

“You know, Archie,” Maxie finally said, looking up at him with a solemn expression, “I never once hated you.”

Archie had not expected that at all. He didn’t reply, and it wasn’t until he heard Maxie opening the classroom door that he came back to his senses.

“Hey, wait!” Archie exclaimed, quickly chasing after him. He tightly grabbed ahold of Maxie’s shoulder, causing him to immediately flinch out of his grip. Archie cursed himself for doing that; he’d need to remember to be less overbearing with him. Because while Maxie had apparently never hated him, there had certainly been a time when Archie had hated Maxie, to the point where he had been willing to hurt him. Clearly Maxie remembered that, if his jumpy reaction to his touch was anything to go off of. He’d really need to get better about his advances. At the very least, it had gotten Maxie’s attention.

“What do you want, Archie? I have a lot of exams that need to be graded before midnight tonight, so I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“I just, uh," he hesitated, trying to get his words straight, "I just thought since the semester is over for winter break and I assume you don’t have anythin’ else to do, that maybe you’d like to… I dunno… come stay in Hoenn with me for a week or two, maybe?”

“Absolutely not.” His response was so immediate it almost seemed prepared.

“Oh, c’mon, Max, It’ll be fun!”

“I think the word you’re looking for is dangerous. I’m still a wanted criminal-”

“Except you’re not. Maxie Matsubusa is, according to all sources, dead. They’re not searchin’ for a dead guy.”

“But… still, what if I’m recognized?”

“You won’t be.”

“How can you be so sure? It took you all of five seconds to realize it was me!”

“Yeah, ‘cause I was helpin’ your sorry ass off the ground. Look, if I hadn’t been a foot away from you, I wouldn’t have been able to tell.” Plus, he had been thinking about Maxie. Of course, he wasn’t about to tell him that yet…

“It’s still far too risky.”

“Fine,” Archie sighed, “I can’t tell ya what to do. I just thought I’d at least invite you. If you change your mind, the ship leaves at six am tomorrow morning, off the port in Coumarine.”

Maxie looked at him hesitantly, before straightening the folders in his hands. 

“It was nice seeing you again, Archie.” Was all he said before hastily leaving the classroom.

Archie sighed. Somehow he knew that that wasn’t going to work, but… at the very least, it was worth a shot. He headed back to his hotel room in Coumarine that evening, disappointed but not very surprised.

So of course, he had been shocked to see Maxie standing at the dock with a small suitcase in hand around five forty-five the next morning.

“Max!” Archie exclaimed, grinning ear to ear, “I can’t believe-”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Maxie interrupted. “I cannot believe I am doing this, but I am. I am this close to turning back so please, we’ve discussed this: I’m Marius, not Maxie. Unless-”

“Otherwise specified. I know, I know, I heard all this before. Don’t call you by your name, don’t talk to others about you unless you talk first, blah, blah, blah, can we just get going?”

Maxie looked at him skeptically but finally gave in.

“If I go to jail because of you I will never speak to you again.” And with that, the two of them headed onto the ship.

* * *

It was a long trip back to Hoenn, and significantly less fun than Archie had thought it would be. He had assumed that with Maxie on board it would’ve been a good time, where the two of them could discuss their plans for this vacation together, or talk about the good old days or maybe just hang out like old friends. Instead, Maxie spent a vast majority of it holed up in his and Archie’s shared cabin. He had horrible seasickness, which Archie had anticipated. But along with that, he was a bundle of nerves the whole time, frantically second guessing himself and Archie- constantly suggesting that maybe they should head back, no, no, it would be fine, no one would be able to tell… but what if they do, Archie, should I visit my mother or not, do you think I’ll be arrested on sight, maybe I should’ve dyed my hair black instead- to the point where being around him was sort of a drag. Archie bore with it; Maxie was his friend, and he was going to make this trip enjoyable for him. Because maybe if he did, perhaps Maxie might consider returning back to Hoenn and finally come home where he belonged. With his old friends, and his mother… and him.

Archie shook his head. No, he needed to stop thinking like that right now! Making Maxie comfortable was first priority, not his childish crush.

Archie loved Maxie.

No, wait; maybe saying it was love was pushing it. He was a little too old to be in love, right? He wasn’t sure. Either way he liked Maxie. He liked Maxie a lot, and he had for years now. He wasn’t sure when it had started again. He wasn’t sure when he had realized just how much he had missed him during their long years apart. He couldn’t remember worrying over a person as much as he had worried over his supposed adversary. He wasn’t sure when thinking about him made his heart ache and his chest feel heavy and when they had finally seen each other again it felt like a wish come true and he couldn’t stop thinking about him and the thought of being his friend and maybe more actually started sounding appealing again.

Archie knew this feeling; he knew it all too well. He had felt it while growing up by Maxie’s side, realized what it meant when he had been in high school, but had been too nervous to ever act upon it until it was too late. He had spent years hating him, telling himself that Maxie was murderous, unstable monster who needed to be stopped. But even during the worst of times when he was most bitter, he couldn’t help but remember all of the good times he had had with Maxie throughout the years. He couldn’t help but remember how compassionate Maxie was and how much fun the two of them had always had together. And after seeing Maxie’s immediate remorse at the Cave of Origin, he realized that Maxie was still the same. He spent years after that wishing he had reconnected with Maxie when he had had the chance, or at least tried to talk to him… but then Maxie turned up, alive and well, and he had taken that chance to the fullest, writing him frequently, cherishing the letters he sent back, visiting him when he could… yes, Archie was thrilled to be his friend again. But it seemed his over zealous heart wasn’t satisfied with just that. Now just a little over twenty years later, he found himself in the same situation he had been in when he was sixteen: love-struck, nervous, but utterly determined to confess to Maxie. Only this time Archie hoped he wouldn’t give up early like he had the time before. Hopefully age had calmed his nerves to the point where that would be possible.

Once they arrived in Slateport, Archie gave Maxie the key to his place while he finished up work for the day. He told him to call him should anything bad happen, and based on the lack of calls he had received, he assumed that Maxie probably didn’t get arrested. Probably.

He quickly headed back home and when he got there, he found Maxie sitting at the table, staring out the window. Once he had moved back to Slateport, Archie had gotten a small house close to the sea, half out of convenience and half because, well, he loved the sea, especially the one he had grown up by.

“I thought you hated that view.” Archie said.

“I do. But it has been awhile.”

“Welcome home, Max.” Archie said, gently putting his had on his shoulder.

Archie decided to take Maxie on a walk around the city that evening, and despite how anxious Maxie had been on the trip over, he had seemed rather enthusiastic about revisiting the city he had grown up in. They passed by the beach (“I will never jump into the ocean again, Archie.”), the Slateport Market (“Still as crowded as ever, I see.”), their old high school (“My goodness, will they ever tear that old building down?”), all while talking about whatever came to mind. Soon enough, they had traveled further into the city, and meandered into a familiar residential area. Once they reached the end of the cul-de-sac, Maxie paused in his conversation, taking a long look at the house that lay before him. The paint had faded with age, and it clearly belonged to another owner if the plastic play set in the front was any indication. But Maxie still gazed at it solemnly regardless.

“Hey, Max?” Archie asked. “Y’know your mom moved to Verdanturf, right? She doesn’t live there anymore.”

“I can tell.” Maxie said. “But… it’s been awhile, I guess.”

Maxie and Archie hadn’t really lived with their parents since they were in their late teens, but for Maxie, it had been close to two decades since he had been home. And from what Archie could tell, it had been quite some time since he had talked with his mother, too. There had been times after their falling out that Maxie’s mom had actually contacted him, asking him if he knew about Maxie’s whereabouts or what he had been up to. Of course Archie didn’t have the heart to tell her that her own son had killed someone, burnt down a building and was up to who knows what with Team Magma. So he had just told her that he and Maxie hadn’t talked in awhile and left it at that.

Of course, Maxie couldn’t hide the truth about Team Magma from her forever, and after the world was nearly destroyed, she soon learned what her son had been doing. She had been devastated when Maxie had seemingly died of course, and Archie remembered his mom telling him that she had been over many times after his apparent demise, often just needing someone to talk to.

From what he could tell, Maxie had made no effort to reconnect with her before faking his own death, and didn’t plan on fixing anything afterwards. He had told Archie in his letters not to tell anyone in Hoenn that he was alive, but he specified his mother. When Archie asked him why, Maxie simply explained that his mother would be better off with a disgraced, dead son. That way she could get over him and resent him, as she should. Archie couldn’t understand his reasoning at all. While Maxie’s mother could be a tad bit overprotective and overbearing, she had always been sweet and cared for him more than anything else in the world. She should at least know that her son was alive, right? However, even Archie knew it wasn’t his place to relay news like that to her.

“You said you’d be stayin’ here for a week or so, right?” Archie finally asked. “Maybe during that time you could visit her?”

“Do you really think she would want to see me? Even after everything I’ve done?”

“Of course, Max! She misses you more than anything in the world. Seein’ ya again would make her so, so happy.”

“Well…” Archie could clearly see the hesitance on his face as he considered his options and finally, he shrugged. “We’ll see.”

“Better than an ‘absolutely not’, I guess.”

They returned to the house pretty quickly after that, still exhausted from the long trip from Kalos. Despite that, Archie was hardly able to get a wink of sleep. He only had a week and a half to spend with Maxie, and he was going to make sure it was absolutely perfect.

* * *

 

“Where are we going?” Maxie asked. The two of them were heading north from Slateport towards Mauville City. Archie had seen Maxie idly gazing at the Seaside Cycling Road, but since the two of them were without bikes, it was clear they’d have to walk on the path under the overpass. With how frequently Archie had been telling Maxie to follow his lead, it didn’t take long for him to realize he had something planned.

“Out!” Archie responded enthusiastically. “Remember that diner we used to go to in Mauville? Well I figured I’d take ya there for lunch.”

“I thought you said you’d let me choose what we did on this trip.”

“Well, I know that,” Archie argued, “but just let me do this one thing, will ya? …I’ll pay.”

“Fine.” Maxie smiled. “The way you’re acting, it almost seems like this is a date.”

Maxie had meant that in jest, and Archie knew it, but he couldn’t help but get flustered at that statement. Hopefully, Maxie hadn’t seen through him. At least, not yet. Sure, he was planning a date, but that would be later. After all, they wouldn’t be alone for this.

When they got to the restaurant, they were the first to arrive and sat down at a table clearly meant for a larger group of people. Maxie already seemed skeptical enough, but once he saw Shelly, Tabitha and Courtney walk through the door, his suspicions were confirmed.

“You're an asshole.” Maxie said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

“Look, I knew there was no way you’d see ‘em unless I tricked you.”

“Why in the world did you think this was a good idea?!”

“Because they miss you. Hey, don’t give me that look! They’re not gonna do anything.”

“What about Shelly?”

“What about her? She’s cool.”

“Says you. She punched me in the face one time when we were playing tag.”

“Oh come on. She had to be what, nine? It’ll be fine, I swear!”

“I swear to...” Maxie stopped when the trio approached the table and immediately picked up the menu, hiding his face behind it.

“Archie!” Shelly exclaimed, pulling Archie into a half hug, half headlock.

“Shelly, it’s good to see ya!” He responded, hugging her back awkwardly.

“Do you two really need to do this every time?” Tabitha asked, sitting across from them. “You act like you don’t see each other frequently!”

“I wish I saw him as often as I’m forced to see you.” Shelly snapped, finally sitting down beside Courtney, who had been eyeing Maxie curiously the whole time.

“Thanks for meetin’ with us on such short notice.”

“Hey, no biggie.” Shelly replied. “I’m just sorry Matt couldn’t come. What’d ya say he was up to, Tabs?”

“He was visiting his parents in Dewford and couldn’t make it. And why are you asking me?”

“Well, ya always seem to know what he’s up to.”

Tabitha just glared at her.

“Anyways, who’s your friend?” Shelly asked. Maxie didn’t move the menu, so Shelly just poked it. “Hey. We don’t bite.”

“Uh, this is the friend from Kalos I’ve been tellin’ you all about.” Maxie still didn’t say anything. “Er, he’s kinda shy. C’mon, say somethin’ to ‘em-”

He paused abruptly when Courtney silently reached forward and plucked the menu out of Maxie’s hands. Maxie stared at her nervously, and she stared right back, her expression as unreadable as always.

“Hello again…” Courtney finally said, a rare smile on her face. “Leader Maxie.”

“Courtney, what are you talking about?” Tabitha asked. “This is clearly not…” He trailed off as he got a closer look at Maxie who had visibly become more nervous. “Oh my goodness, Leader Max-”

Maxie quickly snatched the menu back from Courtney and smacked Tabitha with it.

“All right, all right!” Maxie hissed, still keeping his voice low. “Yes, it’s me, can you please quiet down? I’m trying to keep a low profile here!”

“Wow, it really is him.” Shelly said sarcastically.

“I-I’m sorry, sir.” Tabitha said sheepishly. “I just never thought I’d ever see you again! Where have you… what… I mean…”

“Easy, Tabitha.” Maxie said, though seeing his former admin get into one of his familiar panics seemed to bring a smile to his face. “One question at a time. …And you don’t have to call me ‘leader’ or ‘sir’. I’m not your boss anymore.”

“Right, right, I know that.”

“Same goes for you, Courtney.” Maxie said, pointing at the unusually amused looking woman. “How did you know it was me, anyways?”

“I recognize... your hands.” She replied. “And you slouch peculiarly… when you’re nervous…”

“Damn, Courtney, as observant as ever!” Shelly exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “That’s my girl.”

Archie was happy to see just how quickly the group slipped into friendly conversation. He watched Maxie chat away with his old admins happily; the way they all talked made it seem like they hadn’t spent the last five years apart. Maxie told the two of them what he had been up to in Kalos- excluding the Flare part, of course. Archie couldn’t help but be a little jealous at how quickly Maxie had opened up to the two of them. He had had to pry and be trapped in a cave with Maxie to get him to say anything! Then again, he supposed Maxie’s relationship with him had been far more strained over the years than it had been with his admins.

Maxie also listened enthusiastically to what his admins had to say about their lives since Team Magma’s disbandment. Tabitha had returned to Devon and worked there as a scientist alongside Shelly. Despite how much they bickered, it was clear to everyone that they had become something akin to best friends. As for Courtney, she had begun dating Shelly around two and a half years ago, and as for an occupation…

“A botanist?” Maxie asked. “That’s fascinating.”

“Well…. Kinda.” Courtney shrugged.

“Y’know that flower shop out on Route 104?” Shelly asked. “She works there now.”

“Really?” Archie asked, holding back a laugh. Imagining Courtney- cold, unreadable Courtney- working at a peppy, colorful flower shop was hilarious. “Why?”

“I suppose…” Courtney paused, as she always tended to do. Archie could never tell if she did that to come off as intimidating, or if she just had a hard time articulating her thoughts. “We were so close to destroying everything… I thought maybe I’d like to… make something grow, for a change…”

There was a pause.

“Is that odd?”

“Not at all, Courtney.” Maxie said sympathetically. “That was what I had in mind for Team Magma after what had happened with Groudon. But… oh well. Regardless, I wouldn’t consider it odd in the slightest.”

They singlehandedly made Archie feel like an idiot for almost laughing.

The rest of the lunch went by pleasantly, and soon enough it was time for the two groups to go their separate ways.

“How long will you be staying in Hoenn, Lea… I mean, Maxie?” Tabitha asked.

“A week and a half.” Maxie replied.

“Well, do you think there’s a chance you might…”

“I’d love to visit you in Rustboro sometime. You too, Courtney.”

“Drop by the shop…” Courtney said softly, “…I’ll give you a free bouquet…”

“I appreciate it. I think I might-”

Maxie stopped when Tabitha hugged him abruptly. Just as before, Courtney joined him a moment later.

“What’s gotten into you two?” Maxie asked awkwardly. “I mean-”

“We’re really happy you’re alive, sir.” Tabitha said, squeezing him just a bit tighter. “We really assumed the worst when we had heard…!”

“Don’t… lie like that again…” Courtney added.

“Yeah, and will you keep in touch this time? Please?”

Maxie looked bemused for a moment, but his expression soon softened as he carefully pulled away from his admins. He put a hand on each of their shoulders, just as he had done the last time he had seen them half a decade ago.

“I promise. And if I don’t, I assure you Archie will be more than happy to tell you where I live so you can come and bother me about it.” He shot Archie a look, and he just grinned in response. ”Sound reasonable?”

“Absolutely.” Tabitha responded, and Courtney just nodded along with him.

“Good. Then I will see you two again. I promise.”

They soon parted ways, Archie and Maxie heading south back to Slateport while Tabitha, Shelly and Courtney went west to Rustboro. They slowly trekked through the path beneath the Cycling Road, neither of them having a bike to ride across the top. Not that either of them really wanted to bike right now; after all, it was hard to hold a conversation when speeding down the road.

“You’re really sweet to those kids.” Archie said as they traveled through some of the tall grass.

“They’re not children, Archie. Tabitha’s already thirty-two!”

“Well, ya treat ‘em like your kids.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’. It’s just nice seein’ you be so friendly with others.”

“Well, they deserve it. I’m really proud of how far they’ve come despite everything.”

“Why didn’t ya tell ‘em that?”

“Why would they want to hear that from me? My meaningless approval wouldn’t matter to them.”

“Max… those two really look up to ya. Y’know that, right?” Maxie didn’t say anything, instead averting his eyes towards the ground as he walked.

“I know. I just really wish they didn’t.”

* * *

Two days after their outing to Mauville, Maxie and Archie decided to go on a hike in some of the mountains surrounding Mt. Chimney. Archie could think of a million and a half things he’d rather do, but Maxie had insisted, and technically this whole trip was just for him. Besides, Maxie had informed him that near the top of the mountain range the sight of the sunset was stunning, and from there Archie would still be able to see his oh-so-precious ocean. Normally Archie still would’ve argued with him, but then he realized… what could be more romantic than asking him out during a beautiful sunset? Sure he’d prefer some place like the beach, but this was for Maxie. If hiking up a rocky mountain in the evening was his idea of fun, Archie would go along with it.

“This looks like a good place to stop.” Maxie finally said, as they reached a plateau on the side of the mountain that was fairly clear.

“Really? Already?” Archie asked, panting heavily.

“Yes, it’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Besides, it looks like you’ve had enough.”

Archie wanted to argue but it was true- he was exhausted. While he stayed in pretty good shape, he and altitude simply didn’t mix well, and long hikes tended to leave him winded. Noticing that Maxie looked rather tired too made him feel a little better at least.

“When was the last time you went hiking?” Archie asked, taking a seat by the edge of the plateau.

“More recently than you have, I’m sure.” Maxie replied, taking a seat beside him. “But it has been awhile since I’ve gone on a serious hike. There are quite a few caves in Kalos but none of their mountain ranges come close to the ones in Hoenn.”

“Aww, ya really do miss Hoenn.”

“I don’t think I ever made that a secret.” Maxie wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. While it never got nearly as cold in Hoenn as it did in Kalos, it was still winter. And at a high enough altitude, it almost felt like it. Archie took off his jacket and placed it around Maxie’s shoulders. He looked immediately confused at the gesture. “Aren’t you cold too, Archie?”

“Nah, y’know me. I used to go the whole winter in a T-shirt!”

“But I’m in a sweater.”

“That didn’t stop ya from wearing a coat with it when you ran your team. And shorts, too. What was with that?”

“At least I wasn’t wearing flippers while walking around on dry land.”

“Eh, touché.”

Just off the horizon, they could see the sky beginning to turn orange as the sun began to drift down. Archie took off his backpack and began to rummage through it.

“I brought us some food. It’s nothin’ fancy, just some sandwiches. Ya want one?”

“…Sure.” Archie handed one to Maxie, then tore into his own. Maxie didn’t make any effort to eat his, instead just staring at it idly.

“What’s the matter? Do you not like that kind?”

“Why are you being so nice to me, Archie?”

“It’s just a sandwich, Max.”

”Not just that. Going on this hike with me, organizing this whole trip back to Hoenn for me… you gave me a key stone ring for my birthday. Why?”

“W-well…” _It’s ‘cause I love you._ The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say them. At least, not yet. “That’s what friends do, don’t they?”

“I suppose so.” Maxie finally began to eat his sandwich, and the pair gazed at the slowly setting sun. At least, Maxie did. Archie couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything other than his heavily pounding heart and his racing thoughts. Everything was perfect: Maxie was sitting by his side, seemingly content, the world was bathed in a beautiful orange light as the sun set in the picturesque scenery of Hoenn, the land Archie knew Maxie had so missed. Everything was perfect; he just needed to get the guts to say it. Come on, what was wrong with him? He was forty years old yet he still became a mess of nerves around his crush! But a crush he’d remain if he didn’t do anything, right? He had to at least try, right? Come on, he could do this, he had promised himself he would over twenty years ago, and it’d be a shame if he couldn’t do it now! Besides, who knows if he’d ever be able to convince Maxie to come to Hoenn with him again? What’s worse is, knowing Maxie, should the slightest thing go wrong, he wouldn’t hesitate to completely vanish from his life once again if need be. Archie wouldn’t know what to do with himself should that happen again. He loved Maxie, and those years they had spent apart had been some of the worst in his life! He wanted Maxie to know how much he meant to him, even if he said no, he wanted Maxie to know that at the very least he-

“Archie, can you pass me my water bottle? It’s-”

“I love you!”

The outburst caught them both by surprise, and they were both silent for a moment, just looking at one another in bewilderment. Archie could feel his face flushing horribly. That…. That was absolutely not how he meant to go about this!! He had chosen the absolute worst moment; he had accidentally interrupted Maxie when he had been asking something so simple! That wasn’t romantic in the slightest! What was wrong with him?! Still, he straightened, and took a deep breath. It was already out there. He had already gotten farther than he had when he was sixteen. He would just have to work with this.

“Still?”

And just like that, Maxie managed to throw his thoughts into a panicked frenzy once again.

“Still?!” Archie repeated. “What's that supposed to mean?! H-have I really made it that obvious?”

“Well, you confessed to me once before, but-”

“What?!” There had been many, many times before their falling out that Archie had certainly tried to confess to him, but he had never been able to go through with it! He would’ve remembered… right? “When the hell did I do that?!”

“Our third year of college. You were really, really intoxicated after a party and you confessed to me before puking and passing out.”

Archie remembered going to a couple parties in college, some of which he had had a bit more to drink than he should’ve had, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t remember the event Maxie was talking about. He really must have been incredibly drunk.

“Well why didn’t ya tell me?!”

“Why would I? I figured it was the alcohol talking. I didn’t think you were actually serious.”

“Oh… What the hell was wrong with me?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. We all did unfortunate things when we were younger.”

There was silence for a moment as Archie tried to articulate his thoughts again. Maxie had known this whole time? Then how did he feel in return?

“Well…?”

“Well, what?” Maxie asked.

“W-well, I love you. And I have for a really, really long time.” He grabbed ahold of Maxie’s hands nervously. “Look, I know things have been kinda weird between us for some time, but I’ve really missed you. And… and I don’t wanna ever lose you again! So maybe… we could, I dunno…” Archie was beginning to lose steam. He had rehearsed this in his mind over and over again, but now that he was finally doing it, he was at a loss of what to say. He squeezed Maxie’s hands and smiled nervously. “So… what do ya say?”

“Archie…” Maxie replied. Archie noticed him blushing a little, but despite that he still looked serious. Solemn, even. “I appreciate it. I really do, but… You’d be better off with someone else.”

“Why are you always saying that?” Archie groaned. “You said the same thing about Courtney and Tabitha… you even said the same thing regardin’ your own mother! Why?”

“Because I keep consistently wronging them. Tabitha and Courtney are so young… yet I pushed them into being criminals. And my mother, she should never had had to been burdened with a son like me.” He paused, slipping his hands out of Archie’s. “But none of that even comes close to what I’ve done to you.”

Archie couldn’t help but notice that Maxie was once again gazing at the scar that crossed his forehead. Even after all these years it hadn’t faded, and clearly neither had Maxie’s guilt.

“Tell me something, Archie. Can you truly say that you forgive me for all the things I’ve done? For that scar, for lying to you, for everything I did at Rocket, then with Magma… can you truly say that none of that bothers you?”

The scar didn’t bother him. Other than the dull pain that was there for the first couple of weeks of having it, Archie had been pretty okay with it. The whole thing with Magma Archie could accept as well. The path he was on with Aqua really hadn’t been that far off, and he could imagine himself pretty quickly making the same mistakes that Maxie did, if he had had the upper hand.

Rocket, however…

Archie tried to think about it as little as he possibly could. He had tried to ignore it as often as he could. He wasn’t angry about it anymore. At least, he wasn’t as angry as he had been the night he had found out. But the thought of it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He simply couldn’t fathom Maxie’s reasoning behind it. Team Rocket had been a cruel organization, run by a cruel person, but there were at least several different things that could’ve put an end to them without resorting to violence. Maxie had done it so he could get the information on Groudon as well as destroy Team Rocket for good. It was a cruel, compassionless crime, one meant for selfish gain. And while Archie certainly loved Maxie, that would forever be a wretched part of his past that he wasn’t okay with.

“That’s what I thought.” Maxie said. “And who’s to say that I won’t wind up doing something even worse to you? So please, for your own good… don’t get any closer to me.”

Archie didn’t know how to argue with that. While he had been unsure of what exactly Maxie’s response was going to be, he had figured it would’ve gone one of two ways: flat our rejection or flat out acceptance. With the rejection, he had figured it would’ve been something more insulting: perhaps he’d tell Archie that he was just too immature, or too obsessed with the ocean, or too annoying. He had never expected Maxie to say no and use himself as blame. How was he supposed to get Maxie to forgive himself if he couldn’t even do the same? He doubted that Maxie would ever do any of the things he had done in the past; it seemed he had learned his lesson. But… there really was no way to predict the future, was there? And if they couldn’t completely trust one another, maybe it would be best…

“Can we at least still be friends?” Archie asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Maxie finally said.

* * *

The next morning Maxie left immediately after breakfast, telling Archie that today he was finally going to visit his mother. He insisted on going alone, and Archie didn’t try to convince him otherwise. Somehow he figured reuniting with your estranged, supposedly dead son was something best done without a guest. Archie assumed he’d probably be gone most of the day, and while he appreciated that Maxie was finally making an effort to mend that bond, he was at a loss for what to do. He could go for a walk by the beach, or maybe visit the market for something to cook later…

However, none of that sounded appealing to him. In fact, he really didn’t feel like going out of the house today. He supposed he felt… drained, somehow. Disappointed, perhaps. He had had this whole thing set up in the hopes that Maxie and him would grow closer and might even… He was an idiot for thinking it’d go so smoothly, and realistically, he should just be enjoying their time together in Hoenn, even if it never amounted to anything more than friendship. Hell, he should be happy that Maxie was his friend again! But still, he couldn’t help but be disappointed.

He decided to get up and clean things around the house. It had been a cluttered mess essentially since he had moved in, so maybe it would do him some good to clean it. At the very least, it should take his mind off of things. He decided to start with his bedroom closet. Realistically, he hadn’t used it efficiently in years. He had just been so busy with Aqua among other things that he had just shoved anything that would fit in there then shut the door, hoping that it wouldn’t come crashing out the next time he opened it. Unfortunately, this time it did come crashing out, boxes, books and all sorts of belongings scattering across the floor. He sighed as he got to work, sorting them into separate categories: keep and trash.

A bunch of old photos from high school: keep. A box of old candy that had expired three years ago: trash. An assortment of clothing that was too small for him now…. Archie paused, creating an addendum to his previous piles and creating one for donations. The sorting went by fairly quickly, but soon enough Archie found himself getting distracted. This was inevitable when it came to cleaning; there were just so many memories tucked away in the tightly packed closet. He’d pause at every item and photograph, remembering the events that took place in them before finally putting them in one of the many piles now on the floor.

Eventually, he reached a box that had been shoved into the back corner of his closet and opened it. He immediately coughed when a large amount of dust flew out of it, along with a strange smell. He pulled the first item out of the box, and marveled at what he found: it was an old lab coat with a bright red R embroidered on the breast pocket. Even after all these years, it still reeked of ash and soot, and Archie could see the spot in the sleeve where it had been torn. When Maxie had walked out on him all those years ago, he had never returned, leaving a vast majority of his things with Archie. Maxie was a pretty minimalistic person and didn’t really have a lot with him to begin with, but it was inevitable that Archie would’ve still mixed some of his belongings with his own. Huh. Archie began curiously digging through the box; maybe he’d finally be able to return some of this stuff to their proper owner.

He found an assortment of turtleneck sweaters from around the time Maxie switched over to wearing only that. There was an old glasses case, covered with dust and empty. He found Maxie’s old bag, a thin lining of soot on that as well, and tucked inside: an old, faded notebook. Archie pulled it out, recognizing it in an instant. It was Maxie’s notebook from when he was in Team Rocket. Archie remembered seeing Maxie with it frequently and writing in it often. He didn’t realize he had still had it! He thought Maxie would’ve taken something as important as this with him. After all, it had to be chock full of notes during his research at Team Rocket, right? Archie held it over the trash pile hesitantly. Maxie would probably want this, and any proof of his affiliation with Team Rocket gone, but curiosity got the best of him and he flipped it open. He was surprised to find just how messy it was. The first page was filled with organized notes on the evolution of feebas to mioltic. However, most of the notes had been scribbled over, with frantic handwriting covering them. _This is all bullshit! Idiot, idiot, idiot! Who cares?! Who cares!_ Were among many of the statements scribbled over the organized notes. Archie could tell it was still Maxie’s handwriting, despite the messiness.

He had always been curious about what had happened on Maxie’s end during their time in Team Rocket. He had always assumed it had been easier. He just thought Maxie sat alone in an office all day doing pointless research until he had finally had enough and took what he needed from Rocket. But now he was beginning to think that there was much more to it than that. He nervously turned to the next page, curious for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it took me like 50k+ words to finally write the love confession but there it is.


	10. Maxie, Age 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know if i should tag this fic as anything else

It was finally happening: the beginning of the end.

Team Rocket, an organization dedicated to the research and discovery of legendary pokemon had hired him, and it sounded like a dream come true. With this organization having his back, he was sure he’d be able to find the Legendary Groudon in no time, and that childhood fantasy he had worried might never come true would finally be a reality.

Or, so he had thought. During his first couple of days, his admins had assigned him to all sorts of weird experiments and research. They had had him, as well a few of the other scientists study the evolution of Feebas to Milotic, in the hopes of creating a device that could instantly cause the evolution of the rather ugly creature. Apparently they were trying to imitate the findings of a Rocket branch in Johto that had managed to do the same with a magikarp. Maxie found it to be strange. Wasn’t this an organization devoted to legendary pokemon? What did instantaneous evolution have to do with that? Regardless, Maxie went along with it begrudgingly for now. Soon enough, he’d probably be getting to do more important things, right?

By his third week, he was beginning to grow impatient. All of the things Rocket was having him do seemed pointless, even foolish. Why bother making an instantaneous means of evolution? That just meant you’d have an evolved pokemon that was just as weak as its prior form! And what was with the emphasis on valuable pokemon, anyways? Team Rocket seemed to care substantially about making feebas into milotic because milotic had “value” while feebas did not. Maxie couldn’t wrap his head around it. Of course of the two, milotic was more powerful and more aesthetically pleasing, but since when were pokemon measured with monetary value? And again, what did any of this have to do with Legendary pokemon? Well, whatever. If they weren’t going to take him seriously, he was just going to have to do serious work on his own time, even if that meant staying behind late into the night, conducting his own research. It could be a bit lonely, but if there resources were available to him, he might as well use them.

One morning, Maxie was in the labs as usual, only half paying attention to his work. Today, they were having him study some of the ore found near Sootopolis City, theorized to contain trace amounts of water stone. Of course, Maxie found it to be preposterous and pointless. Water stones would be rather useless in such small amounts and again, this research served no real purpose. Maxie was actually investigating the ore’s composition in search of clues to Kyogre or Groudon’s whereabouts. The two super legendary pokemon were said to be resting somewhere near Sootopolis City, where the two had been fighting in ancient time. Of course it was a long shot, but according to legends, Kyogre and Groudon affected the world around them, causing the stone in their respective resting places to change color. Perhaps the trace amounts of evolutionary stone Rocket had figured was in the rock could be related to that? Of course it was rather unlikely, but it was the only thing Maxie could research right now that would actually look like he was doing his job.

His train of thought was interrupted when a cup of coffee was placed on the desk beside his research. He looked up and found a boy standing beside him, holding a tray with more coffee cups. Apparently, he was handing them out to every one of the scientists. Strange. That was awfully nice of the higher ups to think of. However, the sight of the boy made Maxie concerned. While the boy was rather large, he looked incredibly young; he wouldn’t be surprised if this boy was still high school age! Why was someone so young here, working as a grunt? And why did he look so uneasy?

Just before the boy could head to the next person, Maxie grabbed ahold of his sleeve, effectively stopping him. The boy said nothing and looked down at him nervously.

“Thank you…” Maxie paused, hoping the boy would get the hint and say his name. He didn’t. “Well, what’s your name?”

“Huh? O-oh.” The boy stiffened, clearly surprised by the question. “It’s Tabitha, sir.”

“Well, Tabitha, thank you for the coffee.” He let go of Tabitha’s sleeve and got back to work, effectively forgetting the interaction and the coffee. He hated black coffee, but it’d be rude to ignore the boy, especially seeing how he was so tense and nervous.

As usual, Maxie remained in the lab late into the night. By the time he had set out, it was close to midnight. He sighed; he’d really need to get better about this; but it was just so difficult doing what he wanted to do in the normal time allotted. He was sure Archie could handle a couple of days without seeing him, but it’d be nice to be able to return to the apartment at a normal time.

He paused when he noticed Tabitha leaning against the wall a few feet down the hall. Clearly, he had been waiting for something, and once he caught sight of Maxie, he immediately stood up straight.

“G-good evening, sir!” Tabitha stammered.

“Good evening, Tabitha.” Maxie replied, eyeing him suspiciously. “You are aware it’s almost midnight, right? What are you still doing here?”

“I was, ah, waiting for you.”

“Really? Is there something you need from me?”

“What? No! I-I mean… maybe. Possibly. I’m not sure.” Maxie just gave him a look, waiting for him to just spit it out already. “I just wanted to talk to you again.”

“Why?”

“W-well… you seem different, I guess. You’re the first person here to ever thank me and ask me my name, you know?”

“Are you serious? The people in Team Rocket do seem to be a rude bunch, don’t they?”

“Yes, they are.”

There was silence for a moment. Maxie really wanted to go home and just get some rest, but it was clear that Tabitha still had more to say.

“Would you like to walk out with me, Tabitha?”

“Sure thing, sir!”

“And for goodness sake, you don’t have to call me sir. My name’s Maxie.”

“All right, Mister Maxie!”

Maxie just rolled his eyes; there was no getting to this kid, was there?

“How long have you been here, Mister Maxie? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“It’s been just about a month, I’d say. How long have you been here?”

“Oh… three, I think.” He sighed.

“Tabitha, why exactly are you here? You’re rather young to be working full time, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I graduated high school a bit early.” He grinned proudly. “I actually had a full time internship at Devon! That is, until…”

“Until what?”

“We were, um, attacked...” Tabitha paused, looking around anxiously to ensure that the two of them were truly alone. “By Team Rocket, actually. I guess they were in need of new people.”

“They kidnapped you?” Maxie gasped.

“I think coerced would be a better term. They stole my only pokemon and told me I’d never see her again unless I helped them out.”

“That’s horrible!” Maxie exclaimed. “I can’t believe anyone would do something that cruel! What pokemon was it? Perhaps I can find it myself or at least get one of these idiots to tell me!” After being hear nearly a month, it was safe to say that Rocket wasn’t what he thought it would be, but he didn’t think that they had been straight up criminals! He had heard rumors about some of the grunts being ordered to steal pokemon from unsuspecting trainers, but he had ignored it, assuming it was just mindless gossip. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He’d have to confirm that with Archie later, should he ever actually return to the apartment when the other was awake. Maxie was angry, bordering on livid, but when he faced Tabitha again, he noticed the other was smiling; holding back a laugh, in fact. “What is it?”

“Nothing!” Tabitha insisted. “You just… really are different. Anyways, my pokemon was an, uh, illumise.”

“Well, I’ll see if I can get her back for you. That kind of behavior is simply unacceptable! I can’t believe that-”

“Mister Maxie, why are you here?” Tabitha interjected. The moment he said it he immediately seemed to regret it. “Sorry for interrupting, but, I mean- you’re just so _nice_.”

“Nice?” Maxie almost laughed at that. “I have been called many things, but nice is not one of them.”

“But you are nice!” Tabitha argued. “You thanked me, you asked me what my name was… you’re willing to retrieve my illumise for me when I’m basically just a stranger! That’s very kind… and very unlike a member of Team Rocket.”

“Tabitha...” Even now, Maxie was unused to hearing praise, especially from someone who was, admittedly, basically a stranger. But his being flustered at receiving praise wasn’t what mattered right now. “I was just generalizing. Are the people here really that bad?”

“You don’t even know the half of it, sir.”

On their way back home, Maxie and Tabitha stopped at a secluded park in Rustboro, and Tabitha told him everything he knew. And just like that, the naïve idea he had had of Rocket began to fade away. Team Rocket was, simply put, a criminal organization. They had originated in Kanto where they had commited all sorts of crimes, ranging from petty theft to holding hostages and kidnapping and selling pokemon for money. Eventually, after being beaten by a mere child, the team disbanded. However, some dedicated members of the team had reinstated the team in Johto, where their crimes had continued. They had eventually been defeated there too and now, a few remaining members of the original team had made it their business to relocate in Hoenn, where very few people had heard of them or knew of their crimes, making it easy to get new, unknowing members and cause even more trouble.

“Are you serious?” Maxie asked. He was horrified to say the least. He was beginning to grow suspicious of Team Rocket’s true intentions, but he had never imagined a history as nefarious as this. “They told me they were an organization that focused on the whereabouts of legendary pokemon! That’s the only reason I’m here!”

“It doesn’t surprise me to hear that they’d lie. I-I’ve overheard some other grunts talk and I’ve heard all sorts of things. Some were told working here was akin to getting an internship. Others were promised fame and fortune and some… well, some just didn’t have a place to go, and Rocket took advantage of that.”

“That’s terrible! I didn’t realize the grunts had it so bad. I’ll have to ask my roommate about that…”

“Your roommate’s a grunt? Do you know why he joined?”

“Yes, he’s here because I joined and he followed. If we had any idea…”

“Mister Maxie, listen to me.” Tabitha said sternly. “You and your roommate… you two really should leave while you can. You two are here from your own volition. So that means they haven’t threatened you or coerced you into staying yet. You two should really leave, before they have the chance to do so!“

“Tabitha…” He reached out and gingerly placed his hand on the nervous boy’s shoulder. “I understand where you’re coming from. Really, I do. But how could you expect me to leave after telling me all this? No one should be forced to work here under the force of threats!”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to talk to Proton. I was told he sought me out, and I don’t doubt that. He has to have some iota of respect for me if that’s the case.”

“Do you really think you can change his mind?”

“He’s going to have to if he think he can get me to do a single thing for him!”

Tabitha still looked skeptical.

“And above all else, I’m going to get you your illumise back.”

“Y-you really mean it, sir?”

“Of course I do! It’s a promise, Tabitha.”

* * *

The next morning, Maxie showed up bright and early as usual, and immediately headed to the highest floor of the facility, where he knew Proton’s office would be. Much to his surprise, he was let in immediately. With how secretive Team Rocket could be, Maxie had assumed there would be guards, let alone a password, but apparently not. Proton’s office was… strange, to say the least. It was much more formal than Maxie had anticipated, considering how… ruthless Team Rocket could be. There were several portraits of locations from both Johto and Kanto on the walls, and there were quite a bit of bookshelves that lined the shelves, too. In the center of it all was a nice desk, and there the man himself sat, with a very large arcanine at his side. Maxie was taken aback at just how young he was. He was still older than he was, but Maxie had expected someone much older. This man was likely in his early thirties. Proton was writing something down, but once he noticed Maxie enter the room, he finally looked up at him, looking rather irritated.

“What do you want?” He asked curtly.

He was about as nice as Maxie had anticipated.

“I wanted to talk to you.” The thought to call him ‘sir’ crossed his mind, but he decided against it, determining this man wasn’t worth the formality.

“Oh? Why’s that? Who are you, anyways?”

“I’m Maxie, and-”

The moment Proton heard his name he immediately lit up, a smirk crossing his features.

“You!” He exclaimed, slamming his pencil on the desk. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, too!”

“You… you have?” Maxie had not expected that amount of enthusiasm in the slightest.

“Yes! You’re that young scientist we found out of Rustboro, correct?” Maxie just nodded. “Good!! Good, good, good.” He got up and wrapped an arm around Maxie’s shoulders, as if the two of them were old friends. “Come with me, there’s something I’ve been meaning to show you, specifically!”

He led Maxie to the bookshelves where, after pulling a particular book of the shelf, the whole thing moved to the side, revealing a small passage into another room. Maxie followed him inside, Proton’s arcanine trailing a few feet behind them. This room was what he had expected more when it came to Proton’s office. It was more industrial looking, with a couple of filing cabinets with information that looked classified, a few safes here and there and a couple of whirring, buzzing machines that Maxie was sure he’d like to investigate if he was given the opportunity. Proton turned on a computer with a very large monitor, and began typing away.

“You were the graduate with the supreme interest in Hoenn’s legendary pokemon, correct?”

“Yes.” Maxie began to show interest now. This was exactly what he had been waiting to hear for three weeks now! He didn’t doubt Tabitha’s stories, but perhaps the leader himself wasn’t quite as bad as some of the other higher ups in the team? Regardless, Maxie remained cautiously optimistic.

“We’ve heard so much about you, Maxie. You did a thesis paper on the possibility of using Groudon’s power to help the world, as well as had theories about its existence and whereabouts. That’s fantastic for someone your age!”

Maxie couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. Finally, his hard work would be paying off, wouldn’t it?

“This information is very classified, so I expect you to keep this to yourself. But one of Team Rocket’s motives here in Hoenn is to find the super legendary pokemon, and get a hold of them. However, that’s a bit of a tricky subject. As I’m sure you’re aware, most people are skeptical of their very existence.” He paused, pointing a finger at Maxie. “But you… you’re smarter than that. And I’m confident that you’re exactly what we need to help us get to that point.”

“Well, thank you-“

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll be able to help us find…” He clicked a button, and a large image of a very old mural popped up onto the screen. “The legendary Kyogre!”

Maxie felt his heart drop at the name, but tried to make his disappointment less prevalent.

“Why… if you don’t mind me asking, why are you after Kyogre? Groudon is certainly the better choice of the two; its power would be more helpful for the world and-”

“Oh can it, will you? Do you really think we’re going after Kyogre to help the world or anything like that? Of course not! Kyogre is a beautiful, elegant creature. But most importantly it’s powerful. Once we have it; we’ll be unstoppable. We will be able to do whatever we want! And… assuming one day we’re satisfied, I’m sure we’ll be able to see it off for quite the fortune.”

Maxie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Team Rocket wanted to use Kyogre’s power for… world domination? He could understand the desire to use the power of a legendary; after all, using Groudon’s power was part of his overall plans. But… to destroy? To conquer? And then for money?

“Are you serious?” Maxie asked, this time not hiding his distaste.

“Of course I am. Kyogre can control the water. Destroying anyone who stood in our way would be no problem at all with its power!”

“But… why? Are you unaware of how dangerous Kyogre can be? If revived improperly, it could bring about the end of the world!”

“Well, that’s what we have you here for. I’m sure you’ll be able to take care of that, right?”

“Not if I refuse.” Maxie snapped. Proton glared at him and stood up, but Maxie’s resolve remained firm. “I’m not going to help you if all you plan on doing is using pokemon to hurt people or to sell off! I joined this damn organization because I want to help people! If a legendary’s power is used in moderation, it’s possible to help, but using a legendary to harm others? If that goes unchecked, you might wind up destroying the world! And selling off a literal god for money… do you not see how stupid your plan is?”

“Stupid, huh?” Proton repeated. “Damn, I was hoping you wouldn’t be stubborn. But I guess I’ll just have to convince you.”

Without any warning, Proton lunged at him, pinning him roughly against the wall. He wrapped his hands wrapped around Maxie’s neck and began to squeeze.

“Listen here, Maxie, and listen well!” Proton snapped. “I’m your superior, and you’re to do as I say! I have worked too hard and too long to get Team Rocket to this point, and the last thing we need is another young imbecile getting in the way and ruining everything! You will do as I say, or there will be consequences, got it?!”

Maxie just nodded hastily, and Proton finally let go of him, causing him to sink to the floor, desperately catching his breath.

“Oh get up, will you?” Proton asked, his voice back to its calm, mocking tone. “You look pathetic down there.” Maxie slowly got back to his feet, and Proton held a folder out to him. “This is all the information we have on Kyogre thus far. You are to return this to me with your added research and findings everyday. Should you try and run away with it, destroy it, or tell anyone about it, we will track you down and kill you. Understood?”

Maxie just took the folder in silence and glared. He didn’t trust his voice to sound intimidating right now, nor did he want to be strangled again.

“Good. I expect you to find Kyogre’s whereabouts in… oh, three months should be enough time.”

“Three months?” Maxie repeated. “There’s no way I can do that! Some of Hoenn’s wisest minds have been searching for Kyogre for centuries with no luck!”

“Well let’s just hope for your sake that you’re smarter than them.”

Maxie left Proton’s office that day, more anxious than he had been before. The file in his hands was nearly empty! And with this meager start, he was supposed to find a legendary god in a mere three months? That was simply asking the impossible! What if he failed? Proton’s hands around his neck had already hurt so much; what if he did something even worse to him? But on the other hand, what if he succeeded? Even if he was able to find Kyogre in the time allotted, then what? He’d be handing a pokemon far too powerful and unstable to a team far too incompetent to use it. With Kyogre in their hands, they may be able to destroy the world!

And what about helping Tabitha? And his original plans to find Groudon? How in the world was he supposed to accomplish either of those?

Maxie glared at the file in his hand, squeezing it firmly in his fist. No… he was Maxie. The Great Maxie, in fact! Well… he would be one day, hopefully. And he was sure nothing would prove his greatness more than solving this conundrum. And he knew what he was going to do.

He was to find Kyogre, right? Then so be it. He would research Kyogre while he was being watched, and would research Groudon on the side. He was sure if he put his mind and enough effort into it, he’d be able to accomplish both. He would find Groudon, while lying and keeping Rocket at bay with falsified information on Kyogre. And once he had everything he needed, he would leave Team Rocket, exposing them to the police and disbanding them once and for all. Certainly then, all of Rocket’s kidnapped pokemon would be returned to their rightful owners, including Tabitha’s illumise.

From that day on, Maxie began working himself to the bone, utterly determined to achieve his goal. He left the apartment often before the sun rose and long after it set, spending most of his time studying, experimenting, searching, and above all working. He missed Archie dearly, and felt bad leaving him in the dark so much, but this was the only way he’d be able to finish what he needed done in his sparse amount of time. Hopefully, Archie would forgive him once he explained everything. On the bright side, Tabitha oftentimes brought him and the other scientists coffee in the morning, then stayed behind late at night to keep Maxie company while he worked away on his secret pursuits.

Maxie grew to like Tabitha fairly quickly. The boy seemed to admire him greatly, and while he didn’t seem to know much about legendary pokemon like Archie did, he still listened to Maxie discuss his goals and aspirations with awe. And unlike Archie, he seemed to agree with his reasoning on expanding the land for the good of people. Regardless, he was good company to have during those long hours, even if he was unable to tell Tabitha what exactly he was up to. Perhaps once this mess was all over, he could use Tabitha’s assistance in awakening Groudon? That is, of course, if he wanted to. Tabitha was young, and Maxie wasn’t about to force him into anything. Rocket had already done enough.

Of course, Maxie had over estimated himself once again, and those long, hardworking days soon began to take their toll. His work was getting a bit sloppy, and he couldn’t even begin to count the times Tabitha had had to wake him up after falling asleep on his own notebook. Soon enough, three months passed and if there was one thing Maxie had learned from the whole ordeal, it was that there was no way he was going to ever be able to singlehandedly find and capture Groudon himself. After three months and many long, sleepless nights, the closest he got was determining that Groudon was likely not on the mainland, and its power was somehow siphoned or strengthened by the two orbs residing on Mt. Pyre’s summit. That was about it. No accurate whereabouts, no means of actual restoration, no nothing.

And then there was Kyogre. Maxie had found so little on Groudon, and he had actually been trying then. With Kyogre… all he had were half-hearted speculations and notes he had unenthusiastically copied down. He had nothing. Maxie cursed his own cockiness the morning Proton called him, demanding an answer. He had to come up with something, he had to…

“Shoal Cave.” Maxie said nervously. “I-I have reason to believe that Kyogre may be residing in Shoal Cave.”

“I knew you could do it.” Was all Proton said before hanging up.

Maxie spent the entire day trying to keep himself calm and collected as he imagined what Proton might do to him when he realized that Shoal Cave was a total loss. Perhaps he could just ask Proton for more time, argue that this idea was once again foolish and Rocket should put their time elsewhere. Maybe he could explain how Groudon would be a better use of their time. Maxie idly stroked his neck with his fingers. Surely… surely he wouldn’t kill him, right?

That afternoon, as expected, Maxie was called into Proton’s office once more. Maxie thought about possibly running away but… no, he couldn’t do that. He could still use Team Rocket’s resources for finding Groudon. Besides, Proton had said before that if he tried to run away, he would kill him. What other choice did he have but to begrudgingly report to his office?

When he arrived, he found Proton in the side room to his office again, seemingly preoccupied with work as his arcanine sat by his side, nuzzling his thigh. Maxie cleared his throat to signify that he had entered the room, to which Proton only glared.

“So there you are. I’ve been waiting for you, Maxie.” Proton said bitterly.

“What can I assist you with?” Maxie asked.

“Oh, quit it. Don’t play dumb with me!” Proton snapped. “We both know why you’re in here.”

“I…” Maxie gulped, preparing himself for the worst. “I take it Shoal Cave was unsuccessful?”

“You think? Not only was there no Kyogre, but once high tide came in, tons of my own men almost drowned! Tell me, Maxie, why did you lie to me?”

“I didn’t lie. I said that Kyogre _may_ be in Shoal Cave. I hadn’t found any compelling evidence against it.”

“So you’re telling me that you guessed?” Proton asked, his voice edging on anger. “You lied about what may be Team Rocket’s biggest achievement?”

“Well, what did you expect?” Maxie asked, growing irritated. “You wanted me to find a pokemon only theorized to exist all by myself? In three months? Did you seriously expect me to be able do that?”

“Yes, I did! Because that’s what I instructed you to do!” Proton stood up, and Maxie instinctually backed up.

“W-well, be reasonable!” Maxie argued. “There was no way I would have been able to do that in the time allotted.”

“Well what have you been doing these past three months? Have you just been screwing around?”

“Of course not! I have been working myself half to death trying to find that stupid pokemon!”

“Stupid? You-”

“Yes, it’s stupid!” Maxie interrupted. “This whole plan of yours is completely absurd! I told you once and I’ll tell you again: what you’re having me do is utterly pointless!” Maxie knew he should stop and leave it at that, but his exhaustion had turned to irritation and was getting the better of him. Besides, what was the point of sugar coating it now? He had already insulted the man. “If there’s anything I have managed to discover over the past three months, it’s that Kyogre is dangerous. Incredibly so. All of the legends that described it said that it had a tremendous amount of power, enough that it could destroy the whole world if it so pleased. And you seriously want to use that power to get rid of petty rivals? To evoke fear in others? Do you really think you’ll be able to do that safely, without causing greater harm to Hoenn, or possibly the entire world? I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to locate Kyogre in time, but it’s for the best. At the very least, maybe now you’ll realize just how pointless this entire idea was and can actually have me do something worthwhile!”

There was silence for a moment as Maxie stood there, catching his breath. Proton remained silent, his expression eerily unreadable. Maxie wasn’t sure if he regretted what he said. He was sure there’d be backlash; in a moment, Proton was probably going to yell at him or even worse, assault him again. But maybe there was a chance that his words would actually make sense to him. Hopefully.

“There is something worthwhile you can do for me.” Proton finally said, approaching Maxie slowly. He grabbed ahold of Maxie’s collar, roughly pulling him closer. “Stop wasting my time.”

“Or what?” Maxie asked. “You’ll kill me? You and I both know that you need me here. Do you think you would’ve been able to find out as much as I have?”

“You’re right.” Proton said, letting him go. “I still believe that you’re my best bet at getting what I want. I won’t kill you, Maxie.”

“That’s what I-”

Proton cut him off with a violent blow to the stomach, causing Maxie to fall to the ground. Before Maxie had any time to react, Proton pulled him up by his hair until he was on his knees.

“I won’t kill you,” he repeated, his tone far harsher than before, “but I will make you listen. Arcanine, use flamethrower!!”

“Wh-”

Before Maxie had anytime to react, he was assaulted with a sudden, intense pain coursing all over his back. Maxie could feel the heavy flames burn through his clothing and the skin beneath it begin to broil. His mind went blank and all he could focus on was the agonizing, inescapable pain permeating his body. He didn’t realize that he had been screaming until the flames finally subsided, leaving his voice and back completely raw. There was silence for a moment, with Maxie trying desperately to catch his breath, breathing heavily from the attack. He felt paralyzed, still trying to process what had just happened to him. And most of all, he _hurt_. Though the flames had subsided, the throbbing, stinging pain in his back remained. He was so distracted by it that he had forgotten where he was for a moment, and was brought back to reality when Proton grabbed him roughly by the hair so he was looking up at him.

“I will give you one more month.” Proton said harshly. “And this time I expect you not to waste my time.”

Maxie said nothing, instead just staring at him fearfully.

“Ah, that’s what I like to hear. Your passion is impressive, Maxie. But I think I prefer you like this.”

Still silence.

“I hope you understand better now. Only through hard work and discipline will things be done correctly. If you do as I say, there won’t be any more need for this, now will there?” He waited for a response, but still got nothing. “Oh, stop crying, will you? This is your own fault. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and fix the problem.”

Maxie didn’t realize he had been crying until he pointed it out. If the damp spots on the floor beneath him were any indication, he had been crying since Arcanine attacked. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and shakily stood up. Proton made no effort to stop him, so he slowly made his way to the door.

“One more thing, Maxie?” Proton interjected just before Maxie had left. He tossed a lab coat at him. “Please wear that. You look like garbage. And smell like it, too.”

Maxie made no effort in responding to his insults, instead just silently putting the coat on.

“Good. It’s been a tough day, hasn’t it? How about you take the rest of the day off, get yourself cleaned… We wouldn’t want anyone else finding out about this, now would we? I can’t imagine what the consequences of that would be.”

Maxie already knew what he was implying and just nodded.

“Glad we can come to an agreement, then. See you tomorrow.”

As soon as Maxie left the office, he had rushed back to the apartment as quickly as he could. He needed to get out of the building, he needed to find a place to rest and heal and just... think. His thoughts were still a jumbled mess, but every instinct in him was telling him to put as much distance between himself and Proton.

The moment he walked through the door, he immediately threw everything to the ground: his lab coat, his bag, all of his precious notes… and slowly sank to the floor with them, burying his face in his hands as he finally let the tears he had been holding back out. There were only two things on his mind right now: the ever-constant pain in his back, and the even more painful realization that he was a complete and utter fool.

Yes, he thought, he was a fool. And a big one, at that. He had been foolish to think that Rocket would help him further his dreams. He had been foolish for working with Proton. He had been foolish to think that any of this was a good idea. And, most of all, he had been foolish in believing that he could actually achieve anything. Why in the world had he thought he was so special and so smart that he could track down a legendary with little trouble? He was a fool, plain and simple. And now his own foolishness had gotten him trapped. There was no escape now. If he left, he’d be tracked down by Rocket and killed, but if he stayed and was unsuccessful in finding Kyogre? His back ached so much; he dreaded to think what would happen should he fail again.

And he would. Maxie knew without a doubt that he would. Even if he focused all his time and energy into finding the creature, there was simply no way he’d be able to it on his own in a month. It was simply impossible. At least for someone like him.

The tears eventually subsided, and Maxie finally got to his feet, begrudgingly heading to the bathroom. He took a long, cold shower, which made his skin cold and clammy but at the very least the smell of burnt hair and flesh had subsided, and it had eased the pain in his back slightly. However, he was horrified by what he saw once he got the nerve to look in the mirror. Arcanine’s flamethrower had burnt through his shirt entirely, leaving the skin beneath it scarred and bloody. The scar covered a large portion of his back, starting at the middle of his neck and stopping just above his hips. He grimaced, trying to figure out just how he should handle this. A shirt would cover most of it, thankfully. But the flames had burnt off quite a bit of his ponytail; he’d have to cut his hair pretty short to even it all out. But once he did that, the scar on the back of his neck would be obvious. He’d have to buy some turtleneck sweaters to cover that up, at least until his hair grew out again.

He’d do that later, though. He was still far too shaken up to even dream of leaving the house right now. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget that all of this had happened, at least for a couple of hours.

Of course, that was far easier said than done. Despite his exhaustion from today and the past couple of weeks, sleep evaded him. He simply couldn’t find a comfortable position to lie that didn’t irritate his wound, and he still felt far too on edge to sleep. The events of the day kept replaying in his mind, and the ever-present reminder that they could happen once again left him a mess of nerves. Eventually he gave up and retired to the couch, wrapping a large blanket around himself. At least that way, he could be at least sort of warm and comfortable without wearing tight-fitting shirts that irritated his back. He flipped on the T.V., but paid very little attention to it. His mind was still a mess of anxious thought, but the white noise the T.V. provided at least made him feel a little bit calmer.

He stayed like that for a while until he finally heard the front door swing open; Archie had come home. He had almost forgotten that he would be home soon. Over the past couple of months, Maxie had typically come home long after Archie had gone to bed and had left before he woke up. Maxie missed him. But despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to get up and greet him. He didn’t feel like moving, and he wasn’t sure if he trusted himself to talk quite yet. What if his voice gave away that he had been screaming earlier? Or crying?

Or what if he accidentally wound up confessing everything to him?

That couldn’t happen. Proton had made it quite clear that no one was to know. And if Archie found out, what in the world would happen? Knowing him, he’d go after Proton himself and kill him, or at the very least give him a good fight. Maxie wasn’t sure if Archie was able to harm another person, but maybe in this scenario…

Then again, what if Archie was just disappointed by the news? What if he wound up thinking that Maxie was an idiot for not defending himself? What if he ended up thinking he was foolish and stupid, too? Maxie couldn’t tell him. Not only would he be punished, but it would be nothing short of an embarrassment. Maxie remained silent, mulling it over in his head. He’d have to think about what he could possibly say right now. Much to his surprise, Archie was silent as well. Was he waiting for him to speak first? Or was he just that surprised to see him here?

“I know you’re there, Archie.” Maxie finally said.

“Hiya, Max…” Archie stammered. “Mind if I hang out?”

“I don’t care.” Maxie replied. Archie sat down beside Maxie on the couch awkwardly. He was thankful that Archie, for once, hadn’t sat as close as he usually did. It seemed even he could sense something was off.

“Hey, you feelin’ alright, Max?” He asked.

“I’m not feeling well.” Maxie replied. “So I came home early.”

That, at least, wasn’t technically a lie.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry, man.” Archie said. “Want me to make ya somethin’? I think we have soup.”

“I vomited the last meal I had, so no.” Oh well. He was going to have to lie sooner or later.

“Oh, well…” Archie paused. “What happened to your hair?”

“Do you like it?” Maxie asked bitterly. He didn’t like it at all; he hadn’t had hair this short since he had lived in Lavardige. In fact, part of the reason he had grown it out was because he knew how much of a stickler his father had been for short hair. It was a shame it had to be chopped off like this.

“Yeah. It looks… nice.” That was a lie, and Maxie could tell. “Why’d ya cut it, though?”

“It was getting in the way of everything.”

“Oh. Well, glad it’s not botherin’ ya anymore.” Maxie only nodded.

There was silence for a while. Maxie could tell Archie felt uneasy by his abnormal silence, but he simply couldn’t think of any conversation topics right now. And he didn’t think he’d be able to hold a normal conversation right now, anyways.

“When I feel sick, it usually helps if I get a backrub.” Archie finally said. 

“Absolutely not.” Maxie immediately tensed up at the suggestion. 

“Oh, c’mon! I swear it’ll help-” He reached out and the moment his hand made contact with Maxie’s back, Maxie flinched away, doing everything in his power to not cry out.

“Don’t touch me!” Maxie snapped. Archie drew his hand back immediately, looking incredibly guilty. Maxie felt awful. His first interaction with Archie in weeks and he was somehow already blowing it. 

“Look, I can, uh, leave ya be, if ya want.” Archie said sheepishly. “I mean, ya probably need to rest, so…” Before he could leave, Maxie turned and grabbed ahold of him.

“Don’t leave quite yet.” Maxie said. “We haven’t talked in such a long time… I want you to talk with me.” He wasn’t sure what had compelled him to do it, but… he just felt like he could use Archie’s company right now. It really had been such a long time since the two of them had just spent time together normally. Normal sounded nice, for once.

“Well… what did ya want me to talk about?” Archie asked. 

“Anything.” Maxie replied. “I just need to hear you talk.” Maxie knew better than to tell Archie anything that was going on… but at the very least, he wanted to hear him talk. Archie was always such a good storyteller; maybe his stories would distract him. Archie seemed to relax at that, and gently slipped Maxie’s hand into his, and began to talk. 

He told Maxie about several things that had happened to him during his time at Rocket. He talked about ignoring orders to steal pokemon, losing to some kids, exploring an abandoned ship with some friends he had made… If he was honest, Maxie was only half paying attention to his stories. The way Archie was talking seemed somehow strained… bitter, perhaps. Despite the jovial tales he was telling, it seemed clear to Maxie that Archie was not having a good time at Rocket, either. Halfway through Archie’s story about him and Matt pranking their admin by stealing one of his pokeballs and filling it with glitter, Maxie finally decided to ask him about it.

“Archie.” He said abruptly. “Tell me, honestly, do you like being here? With Team Rocket?”

“I…” Archie said hesitantly. He paused for a moment, clearly unsure of whether or not to tell the truth. “I’ll be honest with ya, Max, I hate it here. I wanted to find Kyogre, and do somethin’ good for the world, y’know? All I’ve done is make a fool of myself while disobeying the rules to piss the admins off. Hell, the only thing I’ve done relating to Kyogre is talk about it to some of the grunts that seemed interested. I don’t like it here.”

Maxie wasn’t surprised to hear that Archie’s time was less than stellar. He had heard plenty of tales about how awful Rocket could be to their grunts through Tabitha. At the very least, he hoped Archie’s time didn’t involve torture.

“Well, that makes two of us.” Maxie said with a sigh. 

“What? Seriously?” Archie asked. “What made you realize how much they suck?”

“A lot of things. And I’ve heard about what they’re making the grunts do; I’m not completely cut off from your side of the world, you know.”

“Well, did ya… wanna leave?” Archie asked.

Of course, Maxie thought. There was nothing in this world he wanted more right now.

“You can’t be serious.” He finally said.

“I am serious!” Archie insisted. “Think about it! This place isn’t doin’ anything for us and we both hate it here. Why not leave? Think of what we could do together!”

“And what might that be?”

“I dunno… Matt and a bunch of the grunts said I’d be better off makin’ my own team. We could make one together! You and me; we’re a pair of smart guys. We could figure somethin’ out.”

“You’re far too idealistic, Archie.” Maxie stated. “Besides, there’s still the matter of leaving.”

“What about it? We just, I dunno, go somewhere else.”

“You might be able to do that. In fact, I’m sure the admins wouldn’t miss you in the slightest. But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m one of their leading scientists! They’re not about to let me go.” Maxie stopped for a moment. He had almost revealed too much already. “Didn’t they tell you they’d hunt you down to the ends of the earth if you tried to leave?”

“Nah, they told us they’d kill us so we don’t say anything.” He laughed. “But I seriously doubt they’d care that much.”

“My point still stands.”

“Well, there’s gotta be some way-“

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. But I’m not about to think about it on a night like tonight.” Maxie sighed. “For now, just let me relax.”

“…All right.” Maxie hated to be so dismissive but… what choice did he have? He was sure that Archie was right. Team Rocket had a million and a half grunts. If someone like him were to up and leave one night, Maxie was sure that no one would stop him. But his case was different. Proton had his eye on him, and had already essentially tortured him for misconduct. Should he attempt to leave, what would even happen to him? Proton had made it perfectly clear that he was as ruthless and violent as they came. If he were to leave… he had no doubt in his mind that he would suffer for it. Archie finally continued telling the story about the glitter and the pokeballs. But as he continued to talk, Maxie finally found himself growing tired. Archie’s voice was strangely soothing; an unusual comfort in what had been one of the worst days of his life. He rested his head on Archie’s shoulder and finally drifted off into a much-needed sleep.

When Maxie woke up the next morning, he felt terrible. His back still ached and he felt disoriented. When was the last time he had slept this long? Why was he in the living room? And what was he lying on, anyways?

He gasped when he realized he had been sleeping on top of Archie. He didn’t even recall falling asleep the night before! He had been listening to Archie talk about messing with his admins when he must have… Still. Why was Archie still laying here on the couch? Why didn’t he get up and leave like a normal person would?

Maxie already knew the answer to this. It was because he was Archie. Of course Archie would lay back and let Maxie sleep on him. He was just like that.

Still, Maxie couldn’t help but appreciate how unusually gentle Archie had been about all this. Maxie had not stirred the entire night, which was a miracle considering how much pain he was still in. Archie’s arm was wrapped around him and the blanket, keeping him pressed against his chest, but his grip was loose enough that Maxie hadn’t felt it. That was oddly gentle for the usually rowdy Archie.

Maxie knew he should get up; he had already slept in as it was. But he couldn’t bring himself to move quite yet. This had been the most sleep he had gotten in ages, and it had been nice. Plus he felt unusually calm considering the circumstances. Archie was warm, and being with him like this made him feel… safe, he supposed. He closed his eyes for a moment, simply listening to Archie’s heartbeat. He had really missed Archie so much. He had been so busy as of late that he hadn’t really thought about him. And that was foolish of him. He had forgotten just how much he had missed his company, and just how safe it made him feel. Right now, in his groggy state of mind, he wished he could just stay here, lazily lying with him as the sun began to rise.

But of course, it was childish to think that way. Maxie had to get up and he had to return to Rocket, unless he was willing to take the risk of something even worse happening to him. He slowly climbed off of Archie, careful not to wake him. He put on a stuffy turtleneck and headed to work, ready for whatever awaited him.

He soon found himself falling into the same routine he had been in before: rising very early then working away all day in the hopes that he might find… something. Anything on Kyogre, anything that might point to its whereabouts… that, or any possible way he could think of escaping. He had told Tabitha about Archie’s silly idea of starting a team and he had completely eaten it up. He thought starting an independent team would be a great idea! And he figured that with Maxie’s intellect, it was possible! Maxie was still skeptical, but he had Tabitha look in on possible means of getting followers and possibly organizing himself. He was still very unsure about leaving, but if he had allies, that was at least a start.

However, this time things were a tad bit different. From the moment he left the apartment, he found himself growing uneasy. He always felt on edge, as if something was going to jump out at him at any moment. He knew it was irrational to think that way, but he couldn’t help it. Even friendly taps on the shoulder from Tabitha were enough to get him to flinch. It was embarrassing, yet he couldn’t seem to get it to stop, no matter how much he tried to rationalize his thoughts.

Soon, the only place he really found himself at ease was at home, with Archie. He knew it was likely irresponsible to do so, but he started to come home at an earlier time, instead of working late into the night like he had before. If he was going to fail again anyways, he might as well attempt to take care of himself a little. Besides, being with Archie just made him feel safe. For a couple of hours at least, Maxie could pretend that he and Archie were children again, carelessly talking and laughing as if there was nothing for them to worry about. Being with Archie actually made him happy, and it gave him something to look forward to no matter how uneasy he got during the day.

But, as it always did, time passed by quickly, and just a week before he was expected to give Proton answers, he was called into his office. He was completely nervous, of course, but he went along anyways. It wasn’t time yet, and Proton would respect that, hopefully. When he entered Proton’s office, he was in the normal office instead of the secret room on the side. Maxie was thankful for that; this room was fancy and well-furnished. Somehow he doubted Proton used his arcanine on anyone in this room. Still, he kept his guard up.

“I still have one week left.” Maxie said immediately. He had no interest in being polite to Proton anymore. He knew just how ruthless he could be and he doubted any amount of formal greeting would change his mind about anything.

“Quick to it, I see.” Proton replied calmly, messing with some papers on his desk.

“Well, you did give me little time.”

“I suppose that’s true. But what I’m here to discuss is how you’re spending that time.”

“What do you mean?” Maxie asked. “I’ve been working, of course.”

“Have you? Because it seems like you’ve been leaving increasingly early these past couple of weeks. Why is that?”

“Well…” Maxie wanted to ask him why he was monitoring him that closely, but he wasn’t actually surprised to hear it at this point. “If I am to work my best, I need rest. Otherwise, my work will get sloppy like it did last time.”

“I see. All right, one more question. Then I’ll let you go.” He paused, seemingly reading something on one of the many papers on his desk. “Does the name Archie Aogiri mean anything to you?”

Maxie felt his blood run cold at the sound of his name. What in the world did Proton want with him?

“He’s…” Maxie began, trying to sound as collected as possible. “He’s my roommate. Why?”

“Really? Because you have been spending quite a bit of time with him.”

“Of course I have. I live with him. That’s unavoidable.”

“Is that really all he is to you? You grew awfully pale when I mentioned his name.” Maxie said nothing and just glared at him. “Ah, that’s what I thought. You really like him, don’t you? Of course you do. Why else would you be wasting time with him instead of working? You’re quite fearless, aren’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve already hurt you once, yet you don’t seem to care at all. I was starting to think that that might not be motivation enough. Perhaps you need something else to push you.”

Maxie felt his stomach drop. He knew what Proton was implying, and he couldn’t let that happen.

“Don’t you dare bring him into this.” Maxie said nervously. “He has nothing to do with this. He’s innocent.”

“I wouldn’t call him innocent. Do you know how much of a pain he’s been? He’s easily one of the worst grunts we have ever seen; bad enough for me to know his name. No one would miss him. And this seems like the perfect opportunity to-”

“Don’t you dare!” Maxie shouted, slamming his hands on Proton’s desk. “Archie has nothing to do with this! If I make a mistake, it’s my own fault. Leave him out of this!”

Proton looked taken aback for a moment, clearly surprised at Maxie’s outburst. However, the shock soon faded, and he smirked at Maxie.

“Such desperation… if I had any doubt left, it’s gone now. Let’s make a deal, Maxie. You get me what I need like I have asked you many, many times before… and no harm will come to your friend. How’s that sound?”

“No! I will not let Archie get hurt in my place!”

“Oh, come on now. You should be happy about this. Regardless of what you do, you won’t be hurt again. ...Or does he really mean that much to you?”

“I-”

“Save it for later, will you?” Proton interrupted. “I’m sure you have work to do, and I’ve kept you here long enough.”

“But-”

“Goodbye now, Maxie.”

Maxie was about to say something else in protest, but Proton’s arcanine began approaching him, and Maxie left, knowing better than to stay any longer.

This was an absolute nightmare.

He didn’t think this could get any worse. He had spent the last month completely on edge, dreading the day he knew he would get hurt again for not solving an unsolvable puzzle. Despite his fear, he had resigned himself to that. If he could survive it once, he could live through it again, as many times as it took before he found a way out.

But this was entirely different. Archie wasn’t supposed to know about any of this, let alone be involved. And now he was about to be tortured- or worse- due to Maxie’s incompetence. Maxie cursed himself for ever thinking that this organization was a good idea. Putting himself at risk was one thing, but if any harm came to Archie, he would never be able to forgive himself.

After all, hadn’t he already hurt him enough? Maxie couldn’t help but remember when they were little, when he had accidentally caused Archie to get slashed by that zangoose all those years ago. Regardless of how many times Archie had said that it was okay, and even that the scar was cool; Maxie had never stopped feeling guilty about it. If he wound up hurting Archie again, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

Archie was far more than a roommate, or even a friend. Archie was _everything_ to him.

Archie was the first person to ever attempt to befriend him. He was his closest friend, and the only person he had ever felt comfortable enough to open up to. He had stayed by his side all of these years, which was more than Maxie had expected from anyone. And though Maxie had never said it, he appreciated Archie so, so much. More than he would likely ever know.

He realized now that this... this was love.

Back in college, when Archie had drunkenly confessed to him, he had been up all night debating whether or not the affection he felt for Archie was love or not. But now he was sure. Love was more than just two friends being together, wasn't it? Love was caring for someone else, love was worrying over someone, love was wanting to protect someone no matter the cost. And Maxie knew that he would do anything, anything at all if it meant that Archie stayed safe and happy.

But that was easier said than done, wasn’t it? So long as Proton and Rocket were here, there was no way out. So long as Proton and Rocket were here, Archie’s fate would be sealed in only a matter of days.

If only Team Rocket and Proton were gone. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore. He and Archie could get back on track to finding their respective legendaries. Together, as a team.

Yes, there was only one option, wasn’t there?

No, that was impossible. There was no way he could do that! Sinking that low would only make him just as wicked as his enemies, wouldn’t it?

But as the days of the week passed, Maxie couldn’t think of any alternate answers. If he ran away, he’d be hunted down and killed. The same would likely happen if he were to contact the police or anyone else for help. And if he did nothing… well, he already knew the answer to that one. There really was only one thing he could do... right? 

Besides, Maxie thought, if dirtying his hands meant keeping Archie safe… then it was worth it.

It was the thought that this would all be worth it in the end, that he and Archie would be safe and happy together once this was all over that kept him determined during those last days, as he planned it all out. Everything would be perfect. He always arrived to work early, before most people had arrived. That was good… most of them would be able to evacuate in time, hopefully. Maxie knew where all the files on team members were located, as well as the information on legendary pokemon. He would burn the first and keep the latter. It would be easy to retrieve so long as he managed to get Proton’s keys. And if he had those, he would be able to unlock the storage unit where kidnapped pokemon were kept. That way he’d be able to keep his promise to Tabitha as well as release all the other kidnapped pokemon. Then he’d have camerupt light it all ablaze. He was sure the pokemon would be capable, especially with his powerful fire blast. Then Maxie would stay behind in the building and leave with the crowd, effectively blending in.

And once that was all over, he and Archie would be able to form a team, just like Archie had mentioned. Tabitha could join, and maybe Archie’s friend Matt, should he or any other of his friends be interested.

And everything would be perfect.

The two of them would be able to achieve their dreams together with several like minds supporting them, just like they had always imagined they would. And Maxie would never have to be on edge again and Archie would be safe and they would be together and one day… one day, he’d be able to tell Archie about all of this, and once he did… Archie would be shocked, he was sure. But once that faded, he’d hold him, telling him he was an idiot for going about this alone, and as the years passed, they’d be able to forget about it, thankful that that part of their lives had ended.

And Archie would forgive him. And once he did, maybe Maxie would be willing to forgive himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proton's description on bulbpedia says he's the scariest and cruelest of the team rocket admins so I just went with it, lmao.


	11. Archie, Age 40 Part 2

Archie shut the old, dusty notebook and let it fall from his hands. Everything… everything made sense now: the reason why Maxie had suddenly become so jumpy and uneasy out of nowhere, the reason why he had gotten rid of all his regular shirts and only wore turtlenecks, the reason why he had almost died in the fire that day; too panicked to move, the reason why he had been so uneasy by that arcanine they had come across in Kalos and, most of all, he finally understood the reason why Maxie had killed Proton all those years ago.

Archie felt like an idiot.

All this time, he had thought Maxie had committed the crime out of sheer greed. He had figured that Maxie, fed up with how corrupt and useless Team Rocket was, had decided to take what he needed and left the rest to burn. He had no idea that it was a last resort. That he had been manipulated and hurt and pushed around until he felt he had no other choice. And even then, he hadn’t considered it until Archie’s life was put on the line.

Archie couldn’t help but think back to their big fight, all those years ago now. Maxie had told him that he had done all of this for him. And back then, it had pissed him off. He had thought that Maxie was just saying that as a means to push his crimes onto someone else. He didn’t realize that he had been telling the truth. In the journal, which had become something more of a frantic diary towards the end there, Maxie had written again and again:

_I must keep Archie safe._

_This is all my fault; but I cannot let anything happen to him._

_I must keep Archie safe at all costs!_

Maxie had cared so deeply for him. He had come home more frequently during that last month at Rocket, seemingly accepting the possibility of being tortured again just to be with him. He had hidden everything he was going through, so as not to worry him. And once the possibility arose that Archie might get hurt, Maxie had stopped at nothing to ensure that he remained safe. Even if it meant turning to something drastic.

And Archie had called him heartless.

Archie wiped his eyes; he didn't even realize he had begun to tear up, but he couldn't help it. Maxie had gone through so much on his own. It was no wonder that even after all these years, even after the entire world had forgiven and forgotten, Maxie was still so hard on himself. He had worked so hard to do something right, to help Archie and all the other people and pokemon that were being trapped, only for the one person he cared for most to call him heartless. Archie had figured that Maxie’s rather gloomy, self-deprecating personality now had stemmed from his failure with Groudon. But it was far more than just that, wasn’t it? This had come from years and years of trying to prove himself to people, only to fail again and again. And Archie, whether purposely or not, had contributed to that.

Well, that was going to stop now.

Archie got up, grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. There was no changing the past. Unless he got his hands on a Celebi, it simply wasn’t possible. But that didn’t mean that Maxie, and what they had had in the past, was a complete loss. Yes, there was still plenty of time left for the two of them. And Archie was determined to spend that time being the supportive friend he should’ve been years ago. Maybe Maxie would never love him back, but being his friend was the least he could do to make up for the years he had spent hating him- the years he had no doubt Maxie had spent hating himself, as well.

And what better way to turn over a new leaf than with an old friend?

Archie hiked up north from Slateport and took the cable cars up to Mount Chimney. From there he traveled south towards Jagged Pass. He had heard that when a criminal’s pokemon were confiscated, they were often released back into their natural habitats unless said pokemon was excessively violent or unstable. Archie was sure Maxie’s camerupt must be here. Maxie had made his pokemon ruthless the more invested he had become with Team Magma’s pursuits, but they were never needlessly violent. At least, not in most cases. Archie was pretty sure that Maxie had trained his pokemon to personally hate him, but he never actually found out for sure. For his own sake, he hoped not.

Archie traveled through the ash-covered patches of thick grass, desperately searching for any signs of Camerupt. He sincerely hoped that no one else had caught him during the past five years. It would be devastating if a pokemon so loyal had ended up in the hands of someone else. Somehow he doubted it though; fully evolved pokemon were far harder to catch than their first form counterparts, and with how stubborn Maxie’s camerupt had been, he doubted he would’ve let himself get captured.

He searched the pass for what felt like hours, even going as far as to leave some yellow pokeblocks out as bait, remembering that they had been Camerupt’s favorite. He had to be here, right? Five years wasn’t that long of a time, right?

He stopped when he passed by a familiar sight. Though he hadn’t been to Jagged Pass in years, he recognized it in an instant: a large bush just a few feet away from the base of a cliff. Archie remembered it immediately. Just a little over thirty years ago, he and Maxie had been in this exact spot, searching for Maxie’s first pokemon. Archie had been distracted by the sleeping baby zangeese and almost let Maxie fall, but came back quick enough for Maxie to land on him. The bush was much larger than he remembered it, and with time had grown far more matted. Curiously, Archie approached the bush, his sharpedo’s pokeball in hand. He was sure his sharpedo was strong enough at this point to defeat any wild, angry zangoose he may encounter, but it never hurt to be cautious. Inside, he found the remains of what had likely been a pokemon’s home, but it had since been abandoned. That family of zangoose was long gone, but perhaps Camerupt had returned to the spot where he and Maxie had met? Well, it didn’t hurt to at least check.

The memories played out in Archie’s mind clearly. He was standing here, by the bush when zangoose attacked. Then Maxie grabbed his hand, and the two of them ran… Archie followed the winding path until it stopped abruptly above a steep cliff. Looking down on it now, Archie realized just how small it actually was. When he was little, it had seemed like a huge drop! No wonder he and Maxie had spent just a little too long debating whether or not to jump.

Archie slid down the cliff into the clearing below then paused. This was where his memory got a tad bit fuzzy. He had been slashed across the forehead by zangoose, and after that he had mostly kept his eyes closed until he had eventually blacked out. He remembered screaming, and he remembered a panicked Maxie trying to console him once he got to the bottom of the cliff, but above all else he remembered just how much it had hurt. He tried not to dwell on it for long, choosing to look around instead.

Maxie had told him that he sat here for a second, doing what he could to patch him up, then Numel had shown up and helped him find the way back home. Archie looked around the clearing and found nothing. Oh well, at the very least it had been worth a shot. He turned around to go back the way he came and found, perched on top of the cliff, a camerupt staring down at him.

“Holy shit.” Archie muttered. He locked eyes with the pokemon for a moment, who glared back at him. Finally the pokemon stepped forward, sliding down the cliff until it stood before him. Archie did nothing for a moment, simply staring at it. While camerupt were rare to find in the wild, it wasn’t impossible. He had to make sure this was Maxie’s. He slowly stepped around Camerupt, until he noticed it: on the right side of Camerupt’s body was a long scar, similar to the one Maxie had on his arm and Archie had on his forehead. Maxie had told him that Numel had fought off the zangoose but had gotten hurt in the process, and that scar had never gone away completely. This had to be his camerupt. It had to be.

“Camerupt!” Archie exclaimed, grinning ear to ear. “Heyyy, buddy? Remember me? I-”

Before Archie could finish, Camerupt charged at him, tackling him and sending him to the ground.

“Yeah. Y-ya remember me.” He groaned, coughing a little. Camerupt had hit him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. At least it didn’t feel like anything was broken. He slowly got to his feet and tried again. “I’m just-” Camerupt noticed him reaching for the pokeballs strapped to his belt and knocked him down again. This time Archie wasn’t so lucky and roughly hit his head against a rock. Archie got up again, hissing in pain.

“All right, all right!” Archie shouted, growing a bit irritated. “I get it. Ya don’t like me. That’s fine, I don’t care.” He held his hands out in surrender, hoping that Camerupt would get the hint. “But I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise. Just… listen to me for a sec, would ya?” The pokemon was still clearly on edge and looked ready to pounce, but held his ground for now. “Maxie’s alive. He’s alive and he really, really misses you.” Archie wasn’t sure how much of this Camerupt was picking up, but he seemed to react to Maxie’s name. “Here, look…” Archie slowly reached into his backpack, gingerly pulling out one of Maxie’s sweaters, which he had quickly shoved in there earlier. “See? I have proof. He’s here with me, and he’d really like to see ya again. I promise.” He held out the sweater for him, and Camerupt quickly recognized the scent, and seemed to calm substantially. In fact, he looked rather content and nuzzled against the fabric happily. Archie was happy to see that Camerupt hadn’t forgotten Maxie. It didn’t matter how hard anyone tried; the bond between a trainer and their first pokemon was something special.

Archie slowly stepped closer to Camerupt and slowly reached his hand out. Camerupt made no effort to try and attack him again, so Archie began to stroke his fur gently.

“There we go. Friends again, right?” Archie asked. Camerupt huffed at him. “Okay, maybe not friends. Acquaintances at least?”

He continued petting camerupt for a while, hoping this would earn his trust. Camerupt seemed unusually civil with him, and once he went as far as accepting a pokeblock from him, Archie knew it was time.

“Hey, Camerupt?” Archie asked, pulling a pokeball from his backpack. “Can I catch you? Please? I’ll return ya to Maxie as quick as I can. I swear on it.”

Camerupt looked at the pokeball, then back at him skeptically.

“Please? It would make Maxie so, so happy. And wouldn’t you like to come home, too?”

Camerupt still looked nervous, but finally he seemed to accept and relaxed a little. Archie threw the pokeball at him and after three shakes it clicked shut.

“Thank goodness.” Archie said, picking it up off the ground. “Max will be so happy to see you.” He put the pokeball back into his bag and began the long journey back home.

When Archie arrived home he found it to still be empty. He had been searching for Camerupt for hours and Maxie still hadn’t come back! Hopefully that meant he was spending a lot of time with his mother. At least that gave him some time to fix himself up. Archie had seen his reflection on the window of the cable car, and it hadn’t been pretty. He was covered in dirt and ash and the blows from Camerupt had left a few scratches on him. There was also dried blood on his forehead from when he had hit it against a rock. He looked disgusting, and the last thing he needed was Maxie fussing over him. He headed to his bedroom, which was still a mess, and sat on the bed and put his backpack down. However, once he sat on the bed he became aware of just how exhausted he was. Hiking wasn’t his strong suit, especially not up in the mountains with its thick, muggy air, and being tossed around by a pokemon certainly hadn’t helped. Archie glanced at the clock on the wall: 3:15. Veranderturf was pretty far away. He was sure it would be awhile before Maxie came back. A quick nap wouldn’t hurt.

* * *

 

“…chie! Archie!”

Archie groaned at persistent voice, squeezing his eyes shut to get more sleep. It didn’t last long and soon he felt himself being shaken, too.

“Archie! Wake up!” Archie opened his eyes to find a very worried Maxie standing over him, his hands gripping his shoulders. Waking up to find Maxie before him would’ve been great on any other occasion, but he didn’t particularly like being yelled at.

“Ugh, what?” Archie replied groggily.

“What do you mean, ‘what’?! What the hell happened here?! Your room is completely trashed, and just look at you!” He cupped Archie’s face in his hands, glancing at his forehead worriedly. “You’re bleeding! Did someone break in and attack you? Archie, what happened?!”

It took a moment for Archie to take in what Maxie had said. But once the initial grogginess from sleep had worn off, he almost felt like laughing. He hadn’t meant to sleep this long. He just meant to take a quick nap then clean himself up and organize this whole mess. And the way he had left the room really did make it seem like there had been a break-in. He glanced over at the clock. It was 7:45. Well, there goes that plan. He wasn’t too disappointed though. Since when did his plans ever go the way he anticipated? In his experience, it was best to just roll with whatever happened.

“Maxie, relax.” Archie finally said, gently pulling Maxie’s hands from his face. “I’m fine, really. I was trying to organize my room and got distracted. I wound up going for a walk and got attacked by a pokemon. It’s not a big deal.”

“You were attacked by a pokemon? Directly?! Archie, that’s horrible!”

Normally Archie would make fun of Maxie for his excessive worrying, but after reading his journal earlier, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Maxie knew first hand just how badly a pokemon could hurt someone. The last thing he should do was call him irrational.

“Look, Max, I’m fine. I promise. I just bumped my head a bit when I was knocked down. No big deal.”

“But-”

“I swear I’m good. There’s something more important I need to talk about anyways.” He reached for his backpack and pulled Camerupt’s pokeball out of it, holding it towards Maxie. “This is for you.”

“What is it?” Maxie looked completely puzzled, but at least seemed a little calmer. “And why are you giving me a pokemon?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. For being so harsh to you in the past and… I forgive you. For everything.”

There was silence for a moment, and Maxie looked even more confused than he did a moment before.

“You don’t mean that.” He finally said.

“I know it seems like I’m makin’ it up. But I mean it. I swear.” Archie got off the bed and strolled over to the mess on the floor, picking up the discarded journal from the pile. “I found this in my closet. I forgot that I even had it… I guess curiosity got the best of me and I read it. And I wish I had sooner. During that fight we had all those years ago, you kept sayin’ again and again that you had something to tell me. That if I just knew the truth I’d understand. But I didn’t let ya talk, too angry and shocked to think clearly. If I had just listened… Max, I’m so sorry.”

“Archie…” Maxie carefully took the notebook out of Archie’s hands, flipping through a couple of the pages idly. “You have nothing to apologize for. Even if you knew the truth back then, I doubt things would’ve been much different. What I did… it was just unacceptable.”

“I’m sure there was somethin’ you could've done instead of that. But I know now that you didn’t do it just out of greed, or just to be cruel. You’ve never had a cruel intention in your entire damn life, have you?”

“You’ve got to be joking. I killed someone.”

“Only ‘cause you thought you had no other choice. Only after you had been hurt and manipulated and… and… to protect me. And Tabitha. And anyone else who had been trapped there, and to help all those pokemon that had been kidnapped and to keep the world from possibly being destroyed! We both know what you did was bad. But you wound up helpin’ so many others that it’s about time I forgive you. And it’s about time you forgive yourself, too.”

He reached out to Maxie, gently placing his hand on his shoulder. After reading the notebook, he finally understood Maxie’s jumpiness and was going to do what he could to keep that to a minimum. He wanted to make Maxie feel safe around him again, if he could.

“You’ve been through a lot. But despite it all, you’ve done so much good. I know you don’t believe that. I know you think that because of Rocket and because Groudon wound up bein’ too much to handle that all you’ve been able to do is hurt people. But you’ve impacted so many people positively. Everything you’ve done… it’s always been for the sake of others. Gettin’ rid of Team Rocket so that everyone could live peacefully, attempting to find Groudon so you could help the planet, helpin’ your whole team start over… hell, ya even gave a young lady an A on a missed project just so she wouldn’t worry about it! It seems most everyone you’ve interacted with you’ve helped in some way. Myself included. Max, if it weren’t for what ya did… I might not even be here right now. And here I was spending years hating you for it. I wanna make up for all the lost time. And for everything else that you lost, too.”

He held the pokeball out towards Maxie again, who took it silently, and tossed it, releasing his camerupt onto the mess on the ground. The large pokemon looked rather confused and disoriented for a moment; clearly it had been quite some time since it had last been inside a pokeball. But once he caught sight of Maxie, he rushed over to him, happily brushing his head against his legs.

“Camerupt…?” Maxie asked, his voice rather quiet. Despite that the pokemon looked up at him expectantly, just as obedient as ever. “Camerupt!” He knelt down and hugged the pokemon, talking to him excitedly like a child again. Archie just stepped back and watched the display before him, content. He hadn’t seen Maxie so happy about something in a long, long while. And he wasn’t about to get in the way of it.

Finally, Maxie stood back up and, after one last pat to Camerupt’s head, returned him to his pokeball. He finally turned to face Archie again, and it was only then that Archie realized he had begun to tear up.

“You… you found him.” Maxie said.

“Aw, it was easy.” Archie replied with a grin. “I knew he would be up there. No one would ever be able to catch a pokemon as loyal as that.”

“I suppose… I just always thought that I’d never see him again.” Maxie said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Why… why in the world did you go to all that trouble?”

“I’ve already said why. We’ve both made a lotta mistakes, but… that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a fresh start. And I figured, what would be a better start than havin’ your old camerupt back? Lord knows ya deserve it. And-”

Archie was cut off when Maxie rushed forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. It caught him completely off guard and he just stood there for a moment, reveling in what was happening. Maxie… Maxie, of all people was hugging him. This was something he had thought would only happen in his imagination, and he wasn’t about to reject it. He wrapped his arms around Maxie and hugged him back.

“I’m sorry.” Maxie finally said, though he didn’t make any effort to let go. “And thank you, Archie.”

“There’s nothin’ to apologize for.” Archie pulled away for a moment, just so he could smile at him. “Actually there is one thing. I’ve been waiting for a hug from ya for over twenty years now! It’s about damn time ya did it!”

“Oh, shut up. For once in your life, can’t you take something seriously?” Maxie replied. Despite his complaints, he was smiling through his tears.

Archie was going to say something in protest, but paused when he realized this was the first time he had ever seen Maxie cry. No matter what he had gone through, he had always kept it bottled up and to himself. He was so strong… but Archie wished he hadn’t needed to be. At least, not by himself. Archie hugged him again, holding him just a bit tighter this time. No one should have to push themselves that hard for that long all alone.

“I love you. And I know a couple nice words won’t change everything that’s happened in the past, but… we can change the future. So… no more secrets between us, okay? I want to be there for you like you were for me. Think we can do that?”

“Hmm…” Maxie smiled and rested his head against the crook of Archie’s neck. “Maybe.”

“Aww, c’mon!” Archie groaned. “Would it kill ya to give me a solid answer?”

“Yes.”

Archie just chuckled and squeezed him tighter.

* * *

 

Maxie extended his stay in Hoenn to two weeks and, much to Archie’s amazement, he seemed perfectly happy for once. Maxie even let Archie take him all around Hoenn, and Maxie seemed to enjoy every moment of it despite his initial fear of coming here. But of course, the time flew by and Maxie couldn’t extend the trip any longer, and Archie took him back to Kalos, with promises to his old admins and his mother that he’d visit again soon.

“Are ya sure ya don’t want me to walk ya back to your apartment in Lumiose?” Archie asked. The two of them were standing on one of the many docks in Coumarine, and it was clear neither of them really wanted to part ways yet.

“That’s all right.” Maxie replied. “You have somewhere you need to be, right?”

“I mean, yeah,” Archie said, “but I wouldn’t mind wastin’ a little more time with you.”

“I think we’ve already done that enough. And there’s always next time, right?”

“Yeah, I guess there is.”

There was a pause, as neither of them wanted to say goodbye yet.

“H-hey, speakin’ of next time…” Archie finally said, albeit nervously. “Did ya think that maybe we could, I dunno, go out together?”

“We went out together plenty of times.” Maxie replied. “Visiting Hoenn was ‘going out’.”

“Oh, you know what I meant.” Archie said, playfully punching Maxie on the shoulder. “I’m asking ya on a date, Max. Whaddaya say?”

Maxie shrugged.

“Eh, sure.”

“That’s it?” Archie exclaimed. “All these years waitin’ and all ya have to say is just ‘sure’? I mean, that’s great, but it wouldn’t kill ya to show a little enthusiasm, y’know! And-”

Maxie interrupted him with a kiss.

It didn’t last long, but it was enough to leave Archie stunned. Archie immediately felt his face growing hot as he stared back at Maxie in awe. Maxie looked a little flustered too, his cheeks flushing a little, but despite that he smirked.

“Is that enthusiastic enough?” He asked. Archie still didn’t respond, which clearly made him a little nervous. “…Was that too much?”

“What? No, not at all!” Archie stammered. “Just, uh, didn’t see that comin’, y’know?”

Archie tilted Maxie's chin up with his hand and kissed him again. Maxie went along with it, wrapping his arms around Archie's neck. This time the kiss lasted a bit longer and Archie actually got to enjoy the sensation of kissing Maxie; something he had only thought would ever happen in his dreams.

“You should probably get going…” Maxie finally said after they parted.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I’ve gotta head to Sinnoh after this.” Archie groaned.

“What’s wrong with Sinnoh?”

“It’s too damn cold, that’s what.”

“Really? I thought the cold never bothered you.”

“Well, Sinnoh’s a completely different story.”    

“I look forward to you telling me all about it.”

There was silence for a moment, in which Archie became keenly aware that Maxie still had his arms loosely around his neck. Archie followed suit and hugged Maxie back one more time. 

“Promise we’ll see each other in person again?” He asked, after they parted. 

“Oh, don’t give me that look.” Maxie replied, feigning irritation. “Of course. I promised an actual date, didn’t I? Besides, you know where I live. Nothing’s really stopping you from paying me a surprise visit.”

“I guess so.”

“That being said, please let me know in advance if you’re going to do that. I don’t want you breaking in to one of my classes again.”

“I’ll try my best.”

The two of them soon parted ways, Archie departing on his ship while Maxie stood at the dock. Archie waved goodbye until Maxie became nothing but a speck on the horizon. Archie smiled to himself as he got back to work. After all, this was the first time he had ever left Maxie without the overbearing fear that they might never see each other again. He happily went about his day, eagerly coming up with ideas for their first official date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took over 65k words for them to finally kiss. goddamn


	12. Maxie, Age 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave y'all 11 chapters of suffering, there might as well be one that's cheesy, tooth-rotting sweet domestic bliss.

The alarm clock sounded loudly, its irritating, repetitive beeping blaring in the once silent room. Maxie groaned, cracking an eye open as he slowly made an effort to reach out and turn the annoying thing off. Without his contacts on it was hard to make out, but after a few missed attempts, he finally shut it off.

Now came the truly hard part about getting up.

“Archie,” Maxie muttered, his voice still groggy from sleep, “I need to get up.”

Archie was lying beside him, his arm wrapped around his waist. Maxie wasn’t sure if Archie hadn’t heard him or was just being difficult, but he made no effort to move. Somehow, he guessed it was the latter.

“Archie, seriously.” Maxie said. “I can’t be late again. I’m running out of excuses for my students.”

“Then tell ‘em the truth…” Archie mumbled, squeezing Maxie a bit tighter.

“Oh, you’re right. I’m sure telling my students that I was late because my snorlax of a boyfriend wouldn’t let me out of bed would go over well. Now let go.”

Archie sighed and finally complied, but not before giving Maxie a lazy kiss on the nape of his neck. Maxie finally climbed out of bed and started getting ready for the day.

It had been about five years since he and Archie had started dating, and he felt oddly content about it all. He was just surprised at how quickly it happened. Then again, they knew most everything about one another coming in to it, so maybe it wasn’t all that surprising how easily one date turned into several and their friendship became more of a romance. Still, he had certainly underestimated just how much Archie cared for him.

After having a long distance relationship for a year and a half, in which they visited one another occasionally but mostly just talked through a Holo Caster and wrote back and forth, Archie decided he wanted to be closer to Maxie. The two of them both knew that Maxie couldn’t realistically come back to Hoenn. While he was certainly comfortable enough to visit Hoenn now, the risk of being recognized while there was simply too high should he stay, not to mention how difficult it would be to go unnoticed and get a new career. So Archie gave it all up and moved to Kalos with him. Maxie was shocked, to say the least. Archie loved Hoenn. He hadn’t expected him to give up his homeland for anything, let alone him. But he did anyways, and seemed oddly nonchalant about it. When Maxie had voiced his concerns he just shrugged it off, saying that he could visit Hoenn anytime. Besides, he had added, Hoenn wasn’t home without him.

Maxie didn’t remember Archie being this much of a flirt. Or maybe he really was just being genuine. He wasn’t sure.

Regardless, they were pretty content. Archie still got to sail the sea and Maxie continued to teach. Neither of them had anticipated getting those jobs, but they enjoyed them nonetheless. Between trips Archie studied Kalosian and after living with Maxie in the region for a few years, his understanding of the language was getting better and better. He still relied on Maxie for some communication, though.

Maxie began to get dressed, but hesitated when choosing what shirt to wear. Normally he’d choose a turtleneck sweater, but it was getting warmer out recently.

“You should go with the short sleeved one.” Archie said, hugging Maxie from behind. He still sounded exhausted; Maxie could hear it in his voice. But at least he had made some sort of effort to get up.

“Why?”

“Y’look nice in ‘em.” Archie mumbled, running his hands up Maxie’s chest beneath his thin undershirt. “Shows off more of ya.”

“Don’t make it weird.” Maxie said, shaking Archie off. Despite that, he pulled one of his few short-sleeved button ups out of the drawer and put it on.

If there was one thing he learned from living with Archie, it was just how affectionate he could be. Whenever they were out Archie was always quick to hold his hand, and even when they were doing simple things like sitting on the couch together, Archie always had his arm around him. Maxie remembered Archie being an affectionate guy, but not to this extent. Maxie didn’t mind it. In fact, after spending years essentially isolating himself, it was rather nice. Though it took quite a bit of getting used to. There were still times when he found himself flinching at Archie’s touch, intrusively imagining something far more sinister about to happen to him. And every time he flinched or pushed him away, Archie would apologize and be more cautious. He was incredibly patient and gentle, and Maxie appreciated that.

However, Maxie’s hyper vigilance wasn’t the only thing Archie was surprisingly understanding about. When Archie first moved in, Maxie had been incredibly anxious, and for a while he had Archie sleep in the extra room before finally feeling ready to share a bed with him. It wasn’t that he was afraid that Archie would do something. In fact, he had shared a bed with him many times with him before, especially when they had had sleepovers as children. But Maxie was nervous about Archie seeing him. Specifically his back.

After the incident in Rocket, it had never fully healed. Sure, it didn’t hurt anymore. But the skin remained an angry red and had become a permanently disfigured mess. It was an ugly, permanent reminder of one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made, and of the inexcusable crime he had committed because of it. He tried to cover it as often as he could, and grew accustomed to wearing a turtleneck in all sorts of weather, but even he couldn’t sleep comfortably in one. So it was inevitable that Archie would see his scars sooner or later.

He remembered the first time it had happened, just a little over a week after Archie had moved in. He had anxiously invited Archie sleep in his bed that night, which he had eagerly accepted. Maxie had been lying on his side, facing away from Archie in the darkness when he had felt him reach out and gently place his hand on his back.

“Can I?” Archie had asked. Maxie could anxiously feel his heart racing and after a brief pause, he finally answered.

“Go ahead.”

He soon felt Archie reach up under his nightshirt, his calloused hands tracing the coarse, scarred skin. He was gentle, but Maxie still couldn’t help but shake from his touch. He was nervous. What if Archie was disgusted? Archie seemed to notice Maxie’s nervousness and soon stopped, instead snaking his arm around Maxie’s waist and pulling him closer to him.

“Too much?” Archie asked.

“It’s fine.” Maxie replied quickly.

“Max,” Archie whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck, “you’re really strong, you know that?”

“You…” He couldn’t help but smile at that, slowly relaxing in his embrace. “Go to bed.”

Archie had accepted him whole-heartedly, scars and everything, with ease. In fact, he seemed to think they were cool. Maxie was beginning to wonder why he had even feared that Archie would be disgusted by them in the first place. This was Archie, the kid who had actually been excited to find that he had a scar that resembled a sharpedo’s face. It was no wonder he thought Maxie looked just fine. It seemed that Archie was always able to see beauty in everything, and Maxie supposed he liked that about him.

With the help of Archie’s support, Maxie began to realize that he was growing tired of turtleneck sweaters. And during one particularly hot summer, he finally gave in and bought a couple short-sleeved shirts. It had been nearly twenty years since he had last worn something that wasn’t a turtleneck, and it felt kind of nice to not be boiling all the time. Sure, there were days when he simply couldn’t do it; when the thought that too many people would see the scar on the back of his neck and judge, or that him seeing it himself and being reminded of what had happened was too much for him to handle. But he was beginning to come out of his shell at least a little bit.

Maxie reached the front door and put his shoes on, mentally going over everything he needed for the day. He had most of the things he needed for today’s lecture in his bag, or they were in his office at work. He had his phone, his keys, his pokemon, his wallet… there was something he was missing, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Oy,” Archie said, seemingly awake now. He was holding a small paper bag in his hands. “You forgot to eat again, right?”

“…Right.” Maxie replied. “Right, that’s what it was; I knew I was forgetting something.”

“Honestly, how did ya even make it here alone?”

“Like you’ve never forgotten to eat because you were busy.”

“I try not to make it a habit.”

Maxie took the bag from him, and inside he found some pecha berries and a chocolate croissant. He noticed that Archie had warmed up the latter for him, as well. Archie was always so considerate and never seemed to miss any details. He much preferred it when Archie was here than when he was away at sea. As often as Maxie acted like he was annoyed, it was nice having him around, and now that he was so used to his presence, he found himself growing a bit lonely when he was away. Not that he’d ever admit that out loud.

“Thank you, I’ll eat it on the way there.”

“Wait, one more thing!” Archie exclaimed, quickly grabbing Maxie’s arm before he left. He pulled him back and kissed him gently. “I love you.”

“Can I go now?”

“Fine, fine. Have fun, continue makin’ the world a better place.”

Archie always said the same thing to Maxie every morning when he left for work. At first it confused him. That sounded like something a mother would say to her child before they left for school. After consistently saying it for a week, Maxie finally asked him about it.

“Is it that weird?” He had asked, looking a little confused. “I mean, that’s what you’re doing, aren’t ya?”

“I’m just a teacher.”

“Yeah, and teachers educate kids and inspire future generations to follow their dreams and change the world for the better.”

Huh. Maxie had never really thought about it that way. He had chosen teaching because, in his opinion, it was easy. He knew the material well, and spent all day essentially just repeating it back to a large crowd of people. But there had been times when he had stayed after class to help a student who was completely confused by the lesson. And on some occasions he had had a couple of students tell him that he was a great teacher, and even tell him that his classes inspired them to add a minor or even switch majors. He hadn’t really thought much of it until Archie had put it like that.

“Honestly, that’s why I thought ya became a teacher.” He had explained. “It’s one of the best occupations for helpin’ people, I think.”

Maxie liked the thought of that. Sure, it wasn’t as glamorous or extravagant as single handedly solving all the world’s problems by awakening a legendary god, but… the older he got, the more Maxie realized just how foolish that plan had been. There had simply been too many risks involved and his pride and determination had refused to let him acknowledge that.

But… that was in the past. And sure, Maxie hadn’t been able to help the whole world. But maybe… he didn’t need to. Maybe being a worthwhile human being meant helping others and doing what was right when you could. And, as Archie was sure to remind him, that was what he had been doing his whole life. Maxie had a bit of a hard time believing that. He still couldn’t help but obsess over some of the things he had done, worrying that he was truly just some awful, wicked person. But everything he had done or tried to do had always been with the best in mind. And the fact that Archie was here with him, the fact that Tabitha and Courtney and everyone else was still around and thriving meant that he had done just that. Even if Maxie didn’t always believe it.

“I love you too.” Maxie finally said.

“I know ya do. But it wouldn’t kill you to say it more often, would it?”

“It might.” Archie just rolled his eyes in response. Maxie stepped forward and gave him one last kiss to the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Archie.” He waved goodbye then finally left the apartment.

Yes, his life had been far from perfect, and very little had gone the way he had initially anticipated. He had made a lot of mistakes… but maybe that was okay. Maybe he could accept that. At the very least, he was beginning to try. After all, if Archie could come to forgive him and even love him… then maybe he could try, as well.

* * *

Maxie and Archie sat side by side on the couch; idly watching some T.V. show, though Maxie wasn’t paying much attention to it. Like so many times before, Archie had his arm wrapped around Maxie as the two of them sat there. Maxie gazed up at him as Archie laughed at something humorous that happened on the show.

Sometimes… Maxie just couldn’t believe that Archie was still by his side like this.

There had been so many times in which Maxie was sure he’d never see him again. After his ordeal in Team Rocket and their bitter fight, he had assumed the worst. Archie hated him. He was sure of it. And the worst part was that he couldn’t even be that angry about it in return. What he had done was unacceptable, and he was foolish to think that Archie would understand him. He had tried to ignore it, instead spending his time focusing on his pursuits with Groudon and Team Magma instead.

After his failure with Groudon, however, he had no choice but to dwell on his mistakes. After all, what more could he possibly do? The one desire he had had nearly his whole life was gone; ruined the moment it had been achieved. So… what was left? He had all the time in the world to dwell on the mistakes he had made and the people he had wronged.

Namely, Archie.

He had never expected Archie to want to make amends with him. He had figured that Archie would just want to hate him forever. But he was just too compassionate, wasn’t he? And he always had been. If it wasn’t for him offering to be his friend nearly forty years ago, they likely wouldn’t even be where they were right now.

And Maxie loved that about him. He was so kind, and if he was honest… he had never expected such kindness from anyone, especially someone he had wronged so many times.

“Archie,” Maxie said absent-mindedly, resting his head on Archie’s shoulder. “I’m glad that I met you.”

“Huh?” Archie asked, clearly not expecting that.

“You heard me.” Maxie always had a hard time articulating how he felt about things, but he hoped this would suffice.

“W-well, I’m glad I met you too, Max.”

For once in his life, Maxie didn’t question Archie’s sentiments. He spent a long time believing that no one could truly care about him. He was just too flawed, too annoying, too troublesome. But that had been proven wrong time and time again. He had his mother, his former teammates and admins, and he had Archie. And they adored him. And try as he might to be stoic, he adored them all too.

Archie got up for a second and returned with two lemonades, passing one to Maxie. He just nodded in thanks as the two continued to idly watch the television.

Yes, Maxie thought, he was happy here. More than he had been in years, if ever. His life certainly hadn’t gone the way he had expected it to, but for the first time in his life, he felt okay with things staying as they were right now. He had never anticipated living in Kalos with Archie by his side, but now he wouldn’t give it up for the world.

“Say Archie?” Maxie began again.

“Mmmm?” Archie mumbled, taking a long sip from his drink.

“Did you want to get married?”

Archie immediately choked on the lemonade and began to cough violently. Maxie reached out and patted his back, patiently waiting for his coughing fit to subside.

“Are you all right?” Maxie asked. “Did you need-”

“Where the hell did that come from?!” Archie demanded.

“What?”

“What do you mean, 'what'?! You just proposed to me! Where the hell did that come from?”

“Uh…” Maxie wasn’t sure why he asked it, and was unsure of what Archie’s reaction would be. He hadn’t expected something this extreme. “You don’t want to?“

”Of course I do!” Archie exclaimed. “I just… wasn’t expecting you to ask like that! Did you plan this at all?!”

“Not really.”

“Of course you didn’t…” Archie muttered, exasperated. Despite that, he began to laugh.

“Why are you laughing?” Maxie asked. Now he really was beginning to worry that it had been too uncalled for. “I didn’t upset you, did I?”

“’Course not. I’m just... hold on a sec.” He left the room for a moment, and soon returned with a small box in his hand. “I guess I just can’t believe that ya beat me to it.”

“Oh.” Maxie said, taking the box from him. Inside was a beautiful ruby ring. “Archie… how long have you had this planned?”

“I’ve been tryin’ to ask ya for months now! I just… kept getting too nervous. I wanted everything to be perfect, and it just never seemed like the right time or place.”

“I’m sorry.” Now Maxie was really beginning to regret asking Archie so casually.

“Don’t be. Knowin’ me, I wouldn’t have gotten the guts to do it until we were eighty.” Archie said, taking Maxie’s hands in his. “At least now I know what your answer is… right?”

“Right.”

Archie kissed him, and as he did so, he slid the ring onto Maxie’s finger.

“I really should have bought one for you, too.” Maxie said once they parted.

“Ya really did just say that on a whim, didn’t ya?”

“Sort of. But… I did mean it.”

“What in the world made you think to ask that now?”

“I’m not sure.” Maxie replied. “I was just thinking about things. There were so many times throughout the years where I thought we’d never see one another again. And I think I’m happy that I was wrong. Though younger me would likely disagree… I like having you with me. And I want to spend the rest of our years together... I think.” He averted his gaze and hesitated. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was beginning to sound too corny. “Assuming you’ll have me?”

“Of course I will.” He said with a grin. Maxie just gazed at him in awe. Though he’d never admit it, he loved Archie’s smile. He reached a hand out and let it rest on Archie’s cheek. As usual, however, his thoughts and hand began to wander, and his fingers began to trace the X-shaped scar on his face.

“Max,” Archie said abruptly, pulling Maxie’s hand off his face, “you’re not still worried about that old thing, are ya?”

Ever since Archie had gotten hurt all those years ago, Maxie had had a hard time looking at him without thinking about it. Sure, he grew used to it just like everyone else did. But he still couldn’t help but glance at him and feel a pang of guilt whenever he did so, always silently reminding himself that he had hurt Archie. And as he aged, that guilt only grew as he made more and more mistakes.

But… he had done a lot right, too.

Every horrible thing he had done throughout his life had always had a positive side to it as well. And he had the scars to prove it. Maxie had been so ashamed of the scar on his back that for years he couldn’t even bring himself to look at it. It was a reminder of the biggest mistake he had ever made, and the punishment he had suffered through for being so foolish.

But it was also a reminder of all the poor pokemon he had been able to set free, hopefully back to their owners. It was a reminder of all the people he had helped through dismantling Team Rocket. It was a reminder that though he had suffered greatly, he had managed to protect Hoenn- and the world- possibly fall due to the selfishness of one organization.

And it was a reminder that he had protected Archie, as well.

It was with that thought that Maxie realized he didn’t hate it anymore. He had kept Archie safe. And most shocking of all, he forgave him. And loved him, even after years of miscommunication, distrust, and incorrect assumptions. He had suffered quite a great deal, but the worst was over now. And despite everything, Maxie was proud of himself, at least a little bit.

“No.” Maxie finally said. For the first time in years he meant that. He looked past the scar and just gazed at Archie, the best friend whom he was so happy was in his life once again. “I’m not.”

“You sure?” Archie asked, clearly skeptical.

“I’m positive.” Maxie said, reaching his hand out once again. “I was just admiring how handsome you are.”

“Max…” Archie blushed heavily before embracing him, likely to hide his face. “When did you become such a flirt?”

“I’m just being honest.” Maxie chuckled.

“I love you.” Archie said. He said that pretty frequently these days. Maxie wasn’t sure if he said it because he meant it or if he just said it to make up for the years he did not. Somehow, Maxie got the feeling it was both.

“I know.” Maxie replied. Despite that, he hugged Archie tighter.

The two of them had had quite a complicated relationship with one another over the years, and at times it felt like Archie’s persistent presence in his life was nothing short of a curse. But now he was thankful for it. With Archie, it seemed like anything was possible. Complete opposites could become friends and the bitterest of rivals could befriend each other again, and become even more than that.

Maxie rested his head on Archie’s shoulder, happy in his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived happily ever after :') This was hard to write tbh, I live for angst but what's romance??? Fluff???? Aaaaaa??????


	13. Archie, Age 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one detail I've alluded to far too many times to ignore, isn't there?

“Shelly!!” Archie exclaimed, rushing out of the school building anxiously. He looked around the large crowd of children leaving the school, but couldn’t seem to find her anywhere. She was an incredibly fast runner, even faster than he was. He continued running until he was mostly out of the large crowd, but couldn’t find a trace of her.

Archie was three years older than her so obviously she was in a different class from him and Maxie. But every day after school let out, the two of them would wait for her to get out of class as well, and they would all walk home together. Today was no different, save for the fact that Shelly was the first to exit the classroom, teary eyed, and hadn’t even given Archie a second glance before barreling it out of the school. He chased after her, but she was shorter and much more agile than he was, and was quick to vanish in the crowd.

Archie stood outside the school, looking around feverishly, but saw no sight of her. He sighed, wondering what in the world could’ve happened that upset her that bad. Shelly was so tough; what in the world could’ve been horrible enough to make her cry?

“Wait… up!” Maxie said, trailing behind him. The moment he caught up to Archie, he put his hand on his shoulder to steady himself, panting heavily.

“Max…” In the rush of finding Shelly, he had almost forgotten about him. “Sorry, you okay?”

“I’m fine… where did she go…? What happened?”

“Wish I knew. But whoever hurt her is gonna seriously get it!” He snapped, clenching his hand into a fist.

“Do you really think it was bullies?” Maxie asked. “If anyone picked on her I’m sure she’d get them back.”

“True.” There had only ever been one kid that tried to pick on her, and she had promptly fought him back. Since then, no one else had tried. At least, not that Archie knew of. But now that Maxie mentioned it, it was hard to believe that anyone else had tried. “Whaddaya think it is, then?”

“Who knows… a failed test, maybe?”

“That’s somethin’ only you would cry over.”

Maxie just glared at him.

“Well, can ya help me look for her?”

“She probably just went home.”

“But what if she…” He trailed off when Maxie wandered off the sidewalk to pick something up off the ground.

“Wait, this is one of her hair barrettes, isn’t it?” He asked, holding it out to him. Archie took it and recognized it in an instant. It was silver, with a little raindrop at the end.

“Yup, that’s hers.”

“Then I guess you were right.”

“About what?”

“It was over there.” Maxie said, pointing at the ground. “Complete opposite direction of where we live.”

“Hmmm…” If that was the case, then she was heading to the north east and… “Wait! I know where she’s headin’!” After his outburst he immediately began sprinting again, effectively leaving Maxie behind. He heard Maxie call out after him, but didn’t turn back, and soon enough he couldn’t hear him anymore. He hoped for his sake that Maxie wasn’t following him. While his health was getting better with each passing year he still wasn’t the most athletic, and his and Shelly’s secret hideout was a bit of a pain to get to.

They had first discovered it when they were really little, about a year before Maxie had moved in. Near the north of the city, behind the harbor building was the beginning of thick, forested area that lead to Route 110. Archie and Shelly used to play around behind there, because it was close to the ocean but hidden away, unlike the beach just south of the city. There was a spot where a couple trees had fallen, their branches and foliage creating a canopy of sorts above the space beneath them. It was smaller than a secret base, but big enough for the two of them to play in together. At least, for now it was. As they got older, Archie was having a harder time crawling into it. He reached their hideout and crept inside where, sure enough, he found Shelly huddled up against the farthest wall, whimpering into her hands.

“Shelly!” Archie exclaimed, crawling over to her. “There ya are! I was so worried!”

“Leave me alone.” She protested, not bothering to look at him.

“Oh c’mon! What’s wrong?” She said nothing, instead just wiping her eyes on her sleeve. “Was someone mean to ya? Who do I have to beat up?”

“It wasn’t that!” She sniffled, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her backpack. “I failed a test today.”

Huh. Maybe Maxie wasn’t the only person who would cry over that. He’d have to apologize for that later.

“Well, so what? I’ve failed a bunch of tests before. It’s not a big deal!”

“Yes it is!” Shelly argued. “M-mom and dad said that if my grades are really bad this year, th-they won’t let me get catch a pokemon on my birthday and I’ll have to wait til I’m eleven!”

“What?!” Archie exclaimed, horrified. “They wouldn’t! That’s just… that’s so mean!!”

“I know why they said it… They just wanna make sure my grades are good, but… I don’t wanna be the only kid in the class without a pokemon! I’ll look like such a loser!!”

“Shelly, hey…” Archie reached out and patted her back gently. “It’ll be okay! You’ve still got time ‘til summer. We’ll… we’ll think of somethin’! No way am I gonna let ya wait ‘til you’re eleven; that’s just evil.”

“W-well, what should I do?”

“Um…” Archie had said that to be nice, but now that he thought about it… he wasn’t sure. Sure, he did what he could at school, but he wasn’t necessarily a stellar student, not like… “Wait a sec, I know!” He exclaimed. “Shelly, I’ll ask Maxie to help tutor you!”

“What?”

“It’ll be prefect! He’s so smart! I don’t think I’ve seen him do badly on a test in, like, ever!”

“Archie…” Shelly looked a little skeptical. “Are you sure he’d do that? What if he thinks I’m too dumb to help?”

“He’s not gonna think that, I promise! He’s helped me with homework a ton and he’s never picked on me for it!”

“I see you two pickin’ on each other all the time!”

“Yeah, well, he never does it when we’re being serious. I swear.”

“…You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She finally seemed to believe him and wiped her swollen eyes again.

“Thanks, Archie.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He grinned at her. “Hey, whaddaya say about gettin’ some ice cream? My treat.”

“Really?” She immediately lit up at that, and the two of them soon crawled out of their hideout. “I’m gonna get the biggest chocolate sundae they have, and-”

“Shhh!” Archie shushed her and crouched down, pulling her down with him.

“Hey! What gives?” She exclaimed.

“I said shh!” Archie repeated. He pointed up where, a few yards away, a jirachi was floating around aimlessly.

“Is that…?” Shelly gasped. “Is that a jirachi?”

“I think so. It looks exactly like it does in all the books!”

“What do ya think we should do? Should we try and catch it?”

“I don’t know if that thing _can_ be caught.” Archie sighed. “And I left all my pokeballs at home.”

“Well, we can’t just sit here, right? This is like a once in a life time thing!” Shelly stood up and rushed over towards the creature.

“Shelly, wait!!”

“Oy, Jirachi!! Hey!!” Shelly shouted. Jirachi seemed spooked at her approach and quickly hid behind a tree. “Hey, c’mon out!” She said, a little softer. “We don’t wanna hurt ya!”

“Yeah!” Archie added, following her cautiously. “Come out, please? We just wanted to say hi!”

Slowly, jirachi poked its head out from behind the tree and stared at the two nervously. When Archie and Shelly made no effort to move or attack it, it seemed to relax and finally drifted towards them.

“H-hi, Jirachi!” Archie stammered. “It’s really cool to see you. My name’s Archie, and this is my friend, Shelly!”

“Whoa, you’re even prettier in person than ya are in the books!” Shelly gasped. Jirachi seemed to understand her words and giggled; bashfully covering its mouth.

“It seems really friendly.”

“That’s for sure! …Say, Archie,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, “this is a jirachi! A real life jirachi! Do ya think… do ya think it’ll grant us a wish?”

“Maybe… just don’t freak it out and wish for too much. It’s a pokemon, too! We gotta be nice.”

“I know, I know. Just one wish.” Shelly straightened up and cleared her throat. “Jirachi… I was wondering if you… would, um, be willing to grant us a wish?”

Jirachi went wide-eyed for a moment, seemingly mulling it over, before smiling and nodding at them.

“Wow, for real? Oh, Jirachi, thank you!! Thank you so much!!!” She reached out and took Jirachi’s hands. “Hmm… what to wish for… what to wish for… Oh, I know!” She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating hard on her wish.

“Shelly-”

“Shut up, Archie! I’m tryin’ to concentrate!”

“I’m pretty sure ya can say it out loud.”

“I said shush!” She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer, and once she opened them, Jirachi emitted a bright light, the tassels on its head glimmering for a moment as it smiled at Shelly.

“Did… did it work?” Archie asked.

“I dunno. What did ya wish for?”

“I can’t tell you! Then it won’t come true!”

“I’m pretty sure that only works for shooting stars.”

“Well, you make a wish, then!” Shelly said, pushing him in front of the pokemon. “See if it works for you!”

“Uh…” Archie glanced at the jirachi, who was gazing back at him with a patient smile.

“Well, go on then.” Shelly said.

“Right…” If someone were to ask him what he wanted any other time, he’d have an immediate answer; but right now, his mind was completely blank. If he could wish for anything… anything at all, what would it be? His first thought was something simple, like world peace. But… maybe that was too broad. Archie had read many fairytales when he was younger about wish-granting genies, and if the wish wasn’t specific enough, they’d find a way to make it blow up in the wisher’s face.

So what did he want, then? He thought about possibly wishing to find Kyogre but… no, that wouldn’t do any good. If he was going to find Kyogre, he wanted to do it on his own, not just because some other pokemon had done it for him. So... again, what did he want? He wished Maxie were here; he was sure he’d have some idea of what to wish for.

Maxie… now that his mind had wandered to him, he couldn’t stop thinking about him. He had totally ditched him earlier, hadn’t he? He’d have to apologize for that. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be too mad. Maxie was always busy with something, so he had probably just gone home. Archie couldn’t help but worry about him a little. For someone so young, he always seemed so stressed out. It always seemed like something was on his mind, and it drove Archie mad that he couldn’t figure out what it was or even begin to help. Maybe he was worried about the future? Then again, who wasn't? Archie tried not to think about it too hard. Soon they'd be in high school, then college, then who knows what...?

It suddenly occurred to him that he and Maxie might end up going to different schools. Or maybe they'd end up getting different jobs. Now Archie was beginning to worry. Maxie was his best friend. What if one day they got separated? What if they ended up living in different cities, or even different regions? What if they drifted apart and stopped being friends? Archie really liked Maxie; he wasn't sure what he'd do with himself if he never saw him again. 

Archie shut his eyes, finally deciding on a wish.

_I wish that no matter what happens, Maxie and I will always find a way back to each other. That no matter what we'll always be able to be friends in the end._

When Archie opened up his eyes, he noticed Jirachi illuminating itself once again, sparkling beautifully as it seemingly granted his wish. Just like before, however, nothing seemed to have changed around them.

“Well?” Shelly said, looking around. “Did it work?”

“I dunno. With what I wished for, I don’t think it’d change anything around us.”

“Well, what’d ya wish for?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Awww, c’mon! I’ll tell ya mine! I wished that I’d ace every test I took from now on. That way, I don’t have to worry about anything like this happening ever again!” She shoved the crumpled up test back into her bag, then paused. “Oh my gosh, Archie, I forgot I had one of these!” She dug through he bag, pulling out a camera.

“So what?”

“So what?!” She repeated incredulously. “Archie, there's a jirachi sitting on your head right now!”

Archie glanced up where, lo and behold, Jirachi had done just that. Huh. He hadn’t even noticed.

“This only happens once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky! We gotta get a picture of this!”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

Shelly rushed over to his side, and held out the camera as far she could.

“Okay… smile on three.” She said.

“Ya think we’re all in the shot?”

“I hope so. One… two… three!”

On three she took the picture, and the camera emitted a bright flash. Unfortunately, the flash seemed to startle Jirachi, who immediately began to float away from them, back into the woods.

“Wait, Jirachi!” Shelly shouted. “Don’t-”

Jirachi noticed her pursuing and promptly teleported away, vanishing into thin air.

“…Aw, dang.” She said.

“It’s probably for the best.” Archie said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “This way, it can grant wishes for a bunch of people. It’d be mean of us to keep it to ourselves.”

“I guess.”

The two of them soon headed back through the woods, towards Slateport.

“At least the picture seemed to turn out okay.” Shelly said, holding the fresh picture in her hand and shaking it occasionally. “Say, Archie, ya never did tell me what you wished for.”

“Oh, uh…” He hesitated. “I…"

"There you are!" It was Maxie, standing just a few feet before them, clearly looking exasperated. "I was looking all over for you two! Where were you?"

"Maxie!" Shelly exclaimed, rushing over towards him. "You'll never guess what we just saw! It was-"

Archie interrupted her by pressing a hand against her mouth.

"We saw some minun in the woods! There were a ton of 'em! One of them was even green!"

"Really?" Maxie asked. He clearly found Archie's behavior suspicious, but seemed intrigued nonetheless. "A green minun? That's incredibly rare! Did you catch it?"

"Nah, I left my pokeballs at home." 

"I have a few." Maxie said, gesturing to his backpack. "Did you want to go searching for it?"

"Eh, maybe later. I promised Shelly I'd get her some ice cream." At that he finally let go of her.

"Yup! Archie's getting me the biggest chocolate sundae they got." She said. She still looked a little confused, but seemed to care more about the ice cream than telling Maxie what had actually happened. 

"You seem to be feeling much better. What happened earlier?" Maxie asked.

"I just failed a test. I was really upset."

"I see..." Maxie said, glaring at Archie.

"But I'm not worried about it anymore!" Shelly continued. "Because-"

"Because I told her that you'd be willin' to tutor her!" Archie interjected.

"You want... my help?" Maxie asked. "Why?"

"Because you're like the smartest kid I know!"

"Uh..." Maxie clearly seemed taken aback by his comment, and blushed a little. "I'm not _that_ smart."

"Aww, don't sell yourself short! You're basically a genius! And I'm sure in no time, you'll help Shelly become one too!"

"W-well, if you say so..."

"I know so! Now c'mon, I really want to get some ice cream! You want some too, Max?"

"Oh... Sure!"

The three of them headed out of the woods, though Archie and Shelly trailed behind Maxie just a little bit.

"Archie," She whispered, tugging at his sleeve, "why'd you lie to him?"

"Wouldn't you be jealous if your friends wished on a jirachi and you didn't?" 

"That makes sense." She paused for a second before asking, “Archie, do ya think they’ll come true?”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out.” Archie replied. 

"Are you two coming?" Maxie asked, waiting up for them. "Since when am I the fastest here?" 

"We're comin', we're comin'!" Shelly exclaimed, easily running ahead of them. Archie just joined Maxie, and walked by his side. Maxie didn't notice, but Archie was smiling at him. Sure, he didn't know for sure whether or not Jirachi had granted his wish. But he wasn't worried; he had his whole life to find out. A life he would hopefully spend with Maxie by his side. 

"Say, Max?" Archie asked.

"Yeah?" 

"Let's be friends forever, okay?"

"Uh..." Maxie was completely caught off guard by that, but soon smiled at him. "What's gotten into you? Of course, Archie."

"You two are so slow!" Shelly complained from ahead of them. 

"We are not!" Archie protested.

"Fine, then! Last one to the ice cream shop's a slowpoke!" Shelly exclaimed, quickly taking off. 

"Well, ya heard her! Let's go!" Archie grabbed Maxie's hand and pulled him into a sprint. The two followed after Shelly, Archie happily looking forward to whatever the future had in store. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well..... that's the end. It's kind of bitter sweet ending this tbh. I've been writing this fic for a year and a half now, and after several rewrites, additions and a couple times of me losing interest and not writing for a few months, it's finally done. I'm going to miss it :')  
> But I'd like to thank everyone who kept up with this story. I got a ton of positive comments, and even some people drawing fanart for it!! It makes me happy that so many people like this work and it makes all the time I spent on it absolutely worth it! Thank you all!


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